Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the areas in Northern Ireland in which the UDR is not allowed to operate, expressed as a proportion of the total area of Northern Ireland, the areas concerned and the proportion of the population of Northern Ireland in those areas, comparing the present position with that prevailing at mid-June 1975 and 1974.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownAs I advised the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley) on 11th May, units of the Ulster Defence Regiment may operate as required by the security situation anywhere in Northern Ireland, but it is not the practice to employ them in circumstances likely to involve them in sectarian conflict or riot control duties.