§ 6. Mr. Tony McWalter (Hemel Hempstead)What recent progress has been made in creating a more normal security environment. [125481]
§ The Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office (Mr. Adam Ingram)In line with the Chief Constable's announcement on 9 May, work has commenced to demolish the Cookstown base and the Cloghoge observation base in South Armagh and to vacate Fort George in Londonderry and the observation posts at Broadway and Templer House in Belfast.
The Belfast and East Tyrone roulement battalions have also been withdrawn, leaving 13,500 troops in Northern Ireland—the lowest number since 1970.
§ Mr. McWalterI thank my right hon. Friend for that answer and congratulate him on the work that he has done on that matter. May I seek his assurance that the number of the security forces will not increase significantly during the difficult period ahead—with parades and other such activities?
§ Mr. IngramI cannot of course give my hon. Friend that assurance; as we have said constantly, the level of the security presence will depend on the degree of threat. Obviously, considerable amounts of public disorder sometimes justify a higher security presence on the ground. We are ever alert and ever vigilant. We shall take whatever measures are necessary.