To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the potential for use by the police of the extended range electronic projectile Taser. (314784)

The Government have no current plans to introduce extended range electronic projectiles for use by the police.

The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) assesses and reviews a range of new technologies on behalf of the police service. As part of this work, HOSDB is conducting preliminary assessments of the effectiveness, level of risk and utility of a product being developed by Taser International called the extended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP). Any equipment issued to police officers is subject to very rigorous testing, and would also undergo full independent medical assessment.

The Government’s approach to developing the use of less lethal weapons is in line with articles 2 and 3 of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms.