§ Sir George Youngasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents were recorded in each of the last three years, in Northern Ireland, in which military personnel accidentally discharged firearms.
§ Mr. StanleyThe number of negligent discharges of weapons involving military personnel in Northern Ireland is as follows:
Year Number 1984 104 1985 101 1986 85 19871 16 1 To 28 February The vast majority of these incidents occurred when soldiers were clearing their weapons on returning to base following a patrol. Clearance of weapons takes place under supervision in a designated area within the base.