The Home Office does not hold any data on the number or proportion of police officers in England and Wales that were authorised to carry Conducted Energy Devices or PAVA. However, to ensure transparency and accountability around police use of force, Home Office publishes annual statistics on police use of force.

The published data includes official statistics in development on the number of use of force reports that recorded that a Conducted Energy Device (Taser) was readily available for use during the incident. It is important to note that this data will only account for where a Taser was carried by an officer during a use of force incident and will not account for all instances in which police were deployed with Taser. The latest available data can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-use-of-force-statistics

This publication also includes information on the number of times a Taser was recorded as a tactic (both discharge and non-discharge uses). Data are available by calendar year for 2015 and 2016 and by financial year from the year ending 31 March 2018. The latest available data can be accessed at the link above.

Decisions around the number of Taser trained officers within a police force are operational decisions for Chief Officers to determine in line with their assessment of threat and risk.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences and their investigative outcomes recorded under a broad category of ‘possessing or distributing prohibited weapons designed for discharge of noxious substances etc.’. However, it is not possible to separate identify possession offences and the type of substance related to these offences.

Table: the number of offences, charge/summons and cautions for the offence ‘Possessing Or Distributing Prohibited Weapons Designed For Discharge Of Noxious Liquid’, 2015/16 to the year ending June 2025, England and Wales (excluding Humberside police).

Note – figures are for England and Wales, excluding Humberside police who were unable to provide figures to the Home Office Data Hub for this period.

In April 2025, the Government announced a limited rollout of PAVA incapacitant spray in the three young offender institutions (YOIs) for 15 to 18-year-olds (Werrington, Wetherby and Feltham A). It was determined that this was a necessary measure to protect children and members of staff at risk of serious and life changing injuries from incidents of violence.

The potential use of PAVA spray in YOIs was the subject of lengthy consideration. This included research from available sources, and work with specialists across HM Prison and Probation Service and beyond. The advice of medical advisors and legal experts was taken into account in reaching the decision.

PAVA is now available to specially selected and trained groups of staff at Werrington, Wetherby, and Feltham A, to facilitate an immediate local response to a serious incident. It is only to be used as a last resort, in response to an immediate threat of serious harm.

The requested information is shown in the table below.

Pelargonic acid vanillylamide incapacitant (PAVA) spray is made available to protect staff and prisoners in the adult estate 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.

The requested information, by prisoner ethnicity and religious affiliation, is provided in the tables below:

PAVA incident reports by ethnic group (2022, 2023)

PAVA incident reports by religion group (2022, 2023)

The Use of Force Policy Framework sets out the context in which force is used lawfully by trained prison staff as well as setting out a professional standard for using force.

All prison officers trained in how to use PAVA undergo regular refreshers which cover the lawful use of force in the custodial setting.

HMPPS is closely monitoring the use of PAVA in all sites at senior levels.

These figures have been drawn from HMPPS Management information. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, but the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. We do not provide exact data when the figure is five or fewer, as this risks identification of individuals. In these cases, the figure has been replaced by the symbol *. This approach is in accordance with our standards on data disclosure.

Information relating to the use of PAVA spray on prisoners with disabilities is recorded in a number of formats. To be able to identify all such cases, it would be necessary to review all potentially relevant records, and this could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.

Whether PAVA spray should be made available to officers in the youth estate was one of the matters discussed when the Secretary of State and the Minister for Prisons met representatives of the Prison Officers Association in July. We are considering all available information on this complex matter, including hearing the representations from a number of stakeholders with a range of perspectives.

The safety and welfare of children and young people in custody, and of our staff, is paramount. We are focused on improving safety in the youth estate, where we manage an increased risk of serious incidents, with higher rates of assault on young people and on staff than in other parts of the secure estate.

PAVA spray is currently available for use in the event of a serious incident in the youth estate, if the National Gold commander decides this is necessary. Consideration is being given to whether the criteria for its use in the youth estate require revision.

Following wide engagement on this issue, both with specialists across His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, and externally, including with medical advisors and legal experts, we are in the process of examining all the evidence. This is taking time, owing to the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the question to be decided.

The evaluation of the PAVA roll-out in the adult estate is currently being peer-reviewed prior to publication.

The safety and welfare of children and young people in custody, and of our staff, is paramount. We are focused on improving safety in the youth estate, where we manage an increased risk of serious incidents, with higher rates of assault on young people and on staff than in other parts of the secure estate.

PAVA spray is currently available for use in the event of a serious incident in the youth estate, if the National Gold commander decides this is necessary. Consideration is being given to whether the criteria for its use in the youth estate require revision.

Following wide engagement on this issue, both with specialists across His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, and externally, including with medical advisors and legal experts, we are in the process of examining all the evidence. This is taking time, owing to the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the question to be decided.

The evaluation of the PAVA roll-out in the adult estate is currently being peer-reviewed prior to publication.

PAVA is intended to protect staff and prisoners in very serious assaults. Safe implementation of PAVA use is accompanied by clear and explicit guidance ensuring staff are confident as to when PAVA spray should be used. Staff can use the PAVA spray where there is serious violence or an imminent or perceived risk of it, and there is an immediate need to create a safe and protective environment. It has been rollout out to prison officers in the adult estate only.

PAVA may be deployed by specialist staff, on the authority of the Gold commander, in Young Offender Institutes that hold those under 18 years of age as a tactical option to resolve an incident for the safety of young people and staff.

PAVA has been deployed once in 2019 at Feltham (A). There have been no other uses the under-18 YOI estate.

There has been an increase in PAVA use as HMPPS have rolled out to all adult male prisons and therefore it is available to more staff to respond to violent incidents where appropriate.

The information requested is in the attached tables for adult YOIs and prisons.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

Following the roll-out of PAVA spray to the adult male estate, HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is examining the case for making it similarly available to staff in Young Offender Institutions in the youth estate. Its use is not being considered in Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes. HMPPS separately have dedicated national response staff who are permitted to use PAVA when authorised to do so to resolve serious incidents in both adult prisons and Young Offender Institutions.

As with any potential safety measure, all available evidence is being assessed to make sure that an informed decision is taken. This assessment includes detailed consideration of the medical and legal implications, including any age-related factors, as well as an evaluation of its implementation in the adult male estate.

Following the roll-out of PAVA spray to the adult male estate, for use where necessary in response to serious disorder, HM Prison and Probation Service is examining the case for making it available to young offender institutions in the youth estate. This includes detailed consideration of the medical and legal implications, including any age-related factors.

Full account is being taken of the evaluation of implementation in the adult male estate. As with any potential safety measure, all available evidence is being assessed, looking at the many complex considerations, to enable an informed decision to be taken.

PAVA spray is not being considered for use in Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes.

Following the roll-out of PAVA spray to the adult male estate, for use where necessary in response to serious disorder, HM Prison and Probation Service is examining the case for making it available to young offender institutions in the youth estate. This includes detailed consideration of the medical and legal implications, including any age-related factors.

Full account is being taken of the evaluation of implementation in the adult male estate. As with any potential safety measure, all available evidence is being assessed, looking at the many complex considerations, to enable an informed decision to be taken.

PAVA spray is not being considered for use in Secure Training Centres or Secure Children’s Homes.

A full evaluation of the roll out of PAVA and use of force is currently being undertaken to consider impacts on prisoners and staff. The evaluation will be published once completed and peer reviewed.