§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many men were recruited to the Armed Services other than the Ulster Defence Regiment in Northern Ireland during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and, of these, how many were Catholic, Protestant and of neither religious group, respectively;
(2) how many men applied in Ulster to join the Armed Forces other than the Ulster Defence Regiment during the last complete year for which figures arc available; and, of these, how many were Protestant, Catholic and of neither religious group, respectively.
§ Mr. Robert C. BrownIn financial year 1977–78, 1,922 men applied to careers information offices in Northern Ireland to join the Services and 741 Service men were recruited. These figures do not include officers since they are recruited centrally and regional figures are not readily available.
Details of the religious faith of these applicants and recruits are not recorded except in the individual application and recruiting forms. The extraction of this information would be a lengthy process involving disproportionate effort.