§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give figures for the latest available full year of (a) the cost of recruitment advertisements for the Ulster Defence Regiment, (b) the response to those advertisements and (c) the actual recruitment during this 12-month period.
§ Mr. GoodhartFor the financial year 1980–81 the cost of recruitment advertising for the Ulster Defence Regiment was £201,300. During that period 3,987 applications to join the regiment were received, and 1,632 applications were accepted.
§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the net increase or decrease in the numbers serving in the Ulster Defence Regiment each year since 1974.
§ Mr. GoodhartThe total strength of the Ulster Defence Regiment at 1 April 1974 was 7,886. Since that date the variation in total strength at 1 April in each subsequent year has been as follows:
95W
Minus Plus 1 April 1975 136 1976 88
Minus Plus 1977 93 1978 266 1979 322 1980 209 1981 90