---

Prisons: Riot Control Weapons

Answer

Data relating to the use of PAVA broken down by disability comes from internal management information that is under development. It is not quality assured and does not meet the standard required for publication.

The table below provides information on the use of PAVA broken down ethnicity and religion.

		2024		2024 Total	2025		2025 YTD Total*
		Drawn and used	Drawn not used		Drawn and used	Drawn not used
Ethnicity	Asian	93	36	129	121	35	156
	Black	543	187	730	524	193	717
	Mixed	166	65	231	159	71	230
	Other	23	25	48	32	12	44
	White	460	270	730	518	308	826
	White: Gypsy/Roma/Irish Traveller	29	14	43	20	23	43
	Unknown	17	3	20	5	1	6
Religion	Christian	533	258	791	531	253	784
	Muslim	522	211	733	550	227	777
	No Religion	219	103	322	241	123	364
	Other	57	27	84	55	39	94
	Unknown	-	1	1	2	1	3
Grand Total		1,331	600	1,931	1,379	643	2,022

Please note that the 2025 figures represent data to 30 November this year. Figures include each time a prisoner is impacted by a PAVA incident. This means each time PAVA is drawn and used/drawn not used, multiple prisoners may be counted. In addition, the same prisoner may be counted more than once if involved in multiple incidents.

Figures provided have been drawn from HMPPS Management Information which has not passed through the quality assurance processes usually associated with official statistics published on gov.uk and may contain incomplete or, on rare occasions, inaccurate data.

Pelargonic acid vanillylamide incapacitant (PAVA) spray is made available to protect staff and prisoners in the event of serious violence, or where there is an imminent risk of serious violence. Clear guidance has been issued to staff, to ensure it is used only where appropriate. Our hardworking prison officers are brave public servants doing exceptionally difficult jobs, this Government will do everything we can to keep them safe.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

HL13020

Session

2024-26

Subjects

Prisons Riot control weapons

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk