Northern Ireland (Hansard, 22 July 1970)

§ 67. Mr. McMaster
asked the Minister of State for Defence how many soldiers were on duty in the streets of Belfast on the night of 27th-28th June; how many were engaged in the incidents in East Belfast; and how many and what types of armoured vehicles they had at their disposal.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
On the night of 27–28th June about 2,800 soldiers were on duty in the streets of Belfast, of whom 120 were engaged in incidents in East Belfast. The sub-unit in East Belfast had at its disposal three Saracen armoured vehicles and three armoured 1-ton trucks.

§ 68. Mr. McMaster
asked the Minister of State for Defence how long shooting continued between armed civilians and soldiers on duty in the Falls Road area on the night of 3rd-4th July; what types of weapons were used against the soldiers; how many civilians and soldiers were injured or killed, respectively, by this shooting; how many guns and how much ammunition was discovered by searches by the armed forces in this area then or subsequently; and how many arrests have been made by them.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
On the night of 3rd-4th July shooting between the troops and armed civilians in the Falls Road area lasted for about five hours.
Types of weapon used against the troops in addition to stones and bottles were petrol bombs, home-made and type 36 grenades, rifles and automatic weapons, Thompson sub-machine guns and MI carbines.
Ten soldiers received gunshot wounds. It is believed that two civilians were killed by Army gunfire but no reliable estimate of gunshot injuries amongst civilians is available.
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Total finds of guns and ammunition in this area on 3rd-4th-5th July were:—52 pistols, 35 rifles, six automatic weapons, 14 shotguns, one grenade, 25 lb. of explosives and nearly 21,000 rounds of ammunition.
Two hundred and sixteen arrests were made.

§ Mr. Gregor Mackenzie
asked the Minister of State for Defence if he is satisfied with the accommodation of the troops stationed in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
A great deal of temporary accommodation has now been taken into use in Northern Ireland for the additional troops serving there, and every practicable step has been taken to bring the condition of this accommodation as close to normal peacetime barrack standards as possible. This work is still continuing. I am satisfied that as much is being done as we can reasonably achieve.

§ Mr. McMaster
asked the Minister of State for Defence in how many different parts of Belfast the Army was involved in incidents involving firearms on the night of 27th-28th June; and how many people were killed or injured in the whole of Belfast and throughout Northern Ireland, respectively, as a result of the action of the armed forces in dealing with civil disturbances on that night.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
On the night of 27th-28th June the Army had to deal with disturbances involving firearms in four different main areas of Belfast. There is no reason to think that any civilians were killed as a result of military action in Northern Ireland during that night. No reliable estimate can be made of civilian injuries.

§ Mr. McMaster
asked the Minister of State for Defence why no steps were taken by the Army between 12 midnight and 6.30 a.m. on the night of 27th-28th June to surround the grounds of St. Matthews Church and neighbouring buildings, or to block the one rear exit into Seafarde Street and to arrest those inside responsible for the shooting which caused the deaths of three civilians and the injury of 26 others.

§ Mr. Ian Gilmour
On the night of 27th-28th June the Army tried on two130W occasions to enter the grounds of St. Matthews Church, Newtownards Road. They were prevented from carrying out these and other necessary deployments, and from making arrests, by hostile Protestant crowds which attacked them with petrol bombs, making effective counter-action against gunmen difficult.