§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to include more Ulstermen in the higher ranks of the Ulster Defence Regiment.
§ Mr. WigginUlstermen are eligible for appointment to any of the posts in the UDR, and local men already fill 80 posts of the rank of major and above out of a total of 109. Selection for any particular appointment is made solely on the basis of the candidate best qualified for the job. For this reason certain posts are normally filled by members of the Regular Army, whose training, experience and expertise are essential to the operational role of the regiment. I have no plans to amend this policy.