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Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Lord Trimble (Ulster Unionist Party), on Wednesday, 18 July 2001, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 6 members in total.

USE OF PLASTIC BULLETS

That this House condemns the views of Professor Brice Dickson, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, who has called for an end to the use of plastic bullets by the RUC; shares the astonishment of RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan at Professor Dickson's lack of rigour and his references to the example of English police forces, when the chief constables of the English constabularies concerned have expressed support for Sir Ronnie Flanagan and the Royal Ulster Constabulary; supports Mr Flanagan's authoritative view that plastic bullets are not used as a method of crowd control by RUC officers, but as a means of curbing the actions of individuals who are posing a serious risk to life and property; and calls on Professor Dickson to withdraw his naive and ill-informed words with immediate effect.

Amendments

The Early day motion has received an amendment.

USE OF PLASTIC BULLETS (191A1)
The Early day motion has received an amendment sponsored by Kevin McNamara (primary, Labour) and tabled on Wednesday, 18 July 2001. It has been signed by 4 members in total.
leave out from 'House' to end and add 'recalls the condemnation of the use of plastic bullets by the European Parliament and by the United Nations Committee Against Torture; further recalls the conclusion of the Patten Commission that urgent work be undertaken to find a socially acceptable alternative to the use of plastic baton rounds; notes the decision to re-equip police and military personnel with the L21A1 version of the plastic baton round on 1st June; also notes the Defence Scientific Advisory Council report that revealed the new baton round will, at all target ranges, exceed the recommended maximum kinetic energy level for a weapon to be deemed less than lethal; praises the selfless resilience of the plastic bullet victims and relatives of victims in their continued opposition to the use of these lethal weapons; and further notes and endorses the call made by the Northern Ireland Commission for Human Rights for the Chief Constable to declare he will no longer sanction the use of plastic bullets as a method of crowd control and that the Government intensify its efforts to develop other, safer methods, particularly when children are involved.'.

Secondary information

Type
Early day motion
Reference
191 
191A1 
Session
2001-02
Subjects
Northern Ireland Police Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission Royal Ulster Constabulary Baton rounds
Link
View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk