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23 Feb 2009 : Column 186W—continued

Stop and Account

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what date the stop and account form will have been withdrawn from use. [254818]

Jacqui Smith: The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Revisions to Code A) (No. 2) Order 2008 (SI 2008/3146) came into effect on 1 January 2009. From that date, an officer conducting a stop and account has not been required to complete a record of the encounter other than to record ethnicity.

Stun Guns: Children

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times a Taser gun has been used (a) on a child and (b) within 10 metres of a child in each police authority area in England in each of the last two years. [256267]

Jacqui Smith: The number of times a Taser has been used on a person under 18 years of age in England and Wales in 2007 and 2008 is shown in the table. Information is not collected on the number of times Taser is deployed within 10 metres of a child.

The total number of subjects exposed to the use of Taser over both these periods totals 2,222 individuals. However only for 2,174 of these were ages reported, the remaining 48 had no reported age for the subjects.

23 Feb 2009 : Column 187W

23 Feb 2009 : Column 188W

	Totals
	2007		2008 (January to August)
Force	<18 years	18+ years	<18 years	18+ years
Avon and Somerset Constabulary	3	26	1	62
Bedfordshire Police	—	14	—	20
Cambridgeshire Constabulary	—	15	2	54
Cheshire Constabulary	—	10	—	13
City of London Police	—	3	—	—
Cleveland Police	4	35	4	23
Cumbria Constabulary	—	14	2	23
Derbyshire Constabulary	1	11	1	18
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary	1	15	—	54
Dorset Police	1	16	—	11
Durham Constabulary	1	12	—	17
Dyfed Powys Police	—	4	1	3
Essex Police	—	7	1	23
Gloucestershire Constabulary	1	13	—	21
Greater Manchester Police	1	11	—	10
Gwent Police	1	9	—	22
Hampshire Constabulary	—	2	—	3
Hertfordshire Constabulary	—	21	1	34
Humberside Police	1	27	1	45
Kent Police	—	7	—	14
Lancashire Constabulary	1	40	1	29
Leicestershire Constabulary	—	6	1	51
Lincolnshire Police	—	8	1	4
Merseyside Police	1	16	—	16
Metropolitan Police Service	3	83	26	186
Norfolk Constabulary	—	7	—	25
North Wales Police	4	27	3	41
North Yorkshire Police	—	15	2	39
Northamptonshire Police	1	5	—	5
Northumbria Police	3	69	17	215
Nottinghamshire Police	—	2	—	7
South Wales Police	2	5	—	24
South Yorkshire Police	—	2	1	6
Staffordshire Police	1	41	1	29
Suffolk Constabulary	1	7	—	12
Surrey Police	—	3	1	13
Sussex Police	1	l4	—	18
Thames Valley Police	1	5	1	5
Warwickshire Police	—	—	—	2
West Mercia Constabulary	1	24	4	29
West Midlands Police	1	20	—	10
West Yorkshire Police	—	40	1	85
Wiltshire Constabulary	—	2	1	28
X not stated	—	1	—	—
Total	36	714	75	1,349

23 Feb 2009 : Column 189W

23 Feb 2009 : Column 190W

	Subject <18 years
	Usage
	2007						2008 (January to August)
Force	Drawn	Aimed	Red dot	Arced	Drive stun	Fired	Drawn	Aimed	Red dot	Arced	Drive stun	Fired
Avon and Somerset Constabulary	1	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—
Bedfordshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Cambridgeshire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—
Cheshire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
City of London Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Cleveland Police	—	—	3	—	—	1	—	—	3	—	—	1
Cumbria Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—
Derbyshire Constabulary	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Dorset Police	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Durham Constabulary	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Dyfed Powys Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Essex Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
Gloucestershire Constabulary	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Greater Manchester Police	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Gwent Police	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hampshire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hertfordshire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Humberside Police	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Kent Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lancashire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	1	—	—	—
Leicestershire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
Lincolnshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Merseyside Police	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Metropolitan Police Service	—	—	—	—	—	3	4	1	10	1	2	8
Norfolk Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North Wales Police	1	—	3	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	1
North Yorkshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1	—	—	—
Northamptonshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Northumbria Police	—	—	3	—	—	—	3	1	9	1	—	3
Nottinghamshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Wales Police	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
South Yorkshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Staffordshire Police	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Suffolk Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Surrey Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
Sussex Police	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Thames Valley Police	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Warwickshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
West Mercia Constabulary	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	3
West Midlands Police	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
West Yorkshire Police	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Wiltshire Constabulary	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
X not stated	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total	3	1	18	2	1	11	10	2	37	3	6	17
Notes: 1. All figures are based on police force returns detailing Taser deployments up to and including 31 August 2008. 2. ‘Use’ as defined by ACPO: TASER Operational Guidance December 2008 policy section 5.2. 3. The term ‘use of the Taser’ will include any of the following actions carried out in an operational setting: Drawing of a Taser in circumstances where any person perceives the action as a use of force. Sparking of the Taser commonly known as “arcing”. Aiming of the Taser or placing the laser sight red dot onto a subject. Firing of a Taser so that the barbs are discharged at a subject. Application and Discharge of a Taser in “drive stun mode” to a subject.

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