§ 13. Rev. William McCreaasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average number of hours overtime worked by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve in Strabane during the week prior to the recent public house bombing there.
§ Mr. ScottRecords of overtime working in the Royal Ulster Constabulary are maintained on a monthly basis for sub-divisions and are normally collated some four to six weeks in arrears. The overtime worked by Royal Ulster Constabulary officers in the Strabane sub-division in the period before the bombing on 4 November is not, therefore, expected to be available until mid-January. However, I can tell the hon. Gentleman that between June and September of this year each full-time officer based in Strabane sub-division worked, on average, 63 hours overtime per month.
§ Rev. William McCreaIn the light of the Minister's statement will he tell the House why the Police Authority admitted to me, while on a deputation from the Democratic Unionist party, that instructions about manpower hours were misunderstood by those in charge and that redirections had to be ordered?
§ Mr. ScottIf the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that overtime is cut down on the ground of cost, and that operations suffer as a result, what he says is totally untrue.