HC Deb 23 March 1970 vol 798 cc300-1W
104. Sir Knox Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what are his reasons for not discharging the member of the Ulster Defence Regiment who, when asked on Ulster Television how he would act in the circumstances of an invasion of Ulster from the South, replied that he could not say.

Mr. Hattersley

The decision to accept this applicant into the Ulster Defence Regiment was taken by the military authorities in Northern Ireland after he had been duly screened. I can see no grounds for reversing this decision.

Sir Knox Cunningham

asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many applicants in each country have now asked to join the Ulster Defence Regi

County Antrim County Armagh Belfast County Down County Fermanagh County Londonderry County Tyrone Totals
Applications 575 615 797 460 471 671 1,187 4,791
received (220) (402) (70) (195) (386) (338) (813) (2,424)
Applications 221 370 378 229 223 382 637 2,440
accepted (93) (277) (36) (116) (193) (219) (489) (1,423)

Figures in brackets are those with former service or now serving in the Ulster Special Constabulary.

The total of applications to join includes 15 who have not yet been allotted to a county battalion and 946 from Roman Catholics.