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Written question asked by Lord Kempsell (Conservative) on Friday, 30 January 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 13 February 2026. It was answered by Lord Timpson (Labour) on Thursday, 5 February 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.


Prison Officers: Stun Guns

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice about prison staff safety on 21 September 2025, how many prison officers are trained to use tasers.

Answer

On 21 September, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that 500 prison-based staff would be trained and equipped to use Taser devices as part of a wider effort to enhance safety across the prison estate. We currently have 25 specially trained officers who work within the Operational Response and Resilience Teams. At present, no frontline officers are trained in the use of Tasers.

Delivering this capability is a significant undertaking: work to train and equip additional officers is in progress.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL14147
Session
2024-26
Related items
Prison Officers: Stun Guns
Monday, 27 April 2026
Written questions
House of Lords
Subjects
Training Stun guns Prison officers
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk