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Vera Baird
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will authorise community support officers to carry CS gas sprays for use in emergencies. [110853]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth
[holding answer 1 May 2003]: The role of community support officers (CSO) is to provide uniformed highly visible patrols in communities, to support police officers, and to tackle low level disorder and anti-social behaviour. None of the 27 forces who have currently deployed CSOs have issued them with handcuffs, batons or incapacitant sprays.