§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many Northern Ireland people have joined the Regular Armed Forces in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownStatistics in the form requested are not available. However, the number of Service men and Service women, excluding entrants to the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service, who have been recruited in Northern Ireland to the Armed Forces since the financial year 1970–71 are as follows:
1970–71 … … … 1,328 1971–72 … … … 1,410 1972–73 … … … 1,069 1973–74 … … … 722 1974–75 … … … 770 1975–76 … … … 804 1976–77 … … … 578 (to 31st December 1976) I regret that figures for the years prior to 1970–71 are not held.
Regional figures for officer entrants to the three Services and for all entrants to the Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service are not readily available, as they are recruited centrally.
The above figures exclude persons of Northern Ireland origin recruited outside the Province and include recruits originating from elsewhere who enlisted in Northern Ireland.