The proposals made clear that the use of these devices would adhere to the ACPO/ACPOS Manual of Guidance on Police use of Firearms; that threat and risk assessments would be conducted so that Chief Constables could be satisfied about their force’s tactical and operational capabilities to deploy this weapon, and that before any operational deployment is made a rigorous training programme would be conducted. On that basis, ministers supported the decision to use these devices, while recognising that it was an operational matter for chief constables to determine the appropriate response to any firearms incident in the light of circumstances in each case.