The Government has raised concerns about the introduction of a new type of plastic bullet in the North next month. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, pointed out that a report commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence stated that the severity of injuries to vulnerable parts of the body, was likely to be greater than the current bullets.

In a written reply, he said "the clear spirit of the Good Friday agreement and Patten Report is that plastic baton rounds should be phased out, not renewed or replaced in a different format".