§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the present size and morale of the Ulster Defence Regiment.
§ Mr. GoodhartThe strength of the UDR on 31 May was 7,518—4,770 part-time and 2,748 full-time soldiers.36W Morale is excellent and is reflected in a continuing high level of recruitment and retention which has led to an increase in the overall strength of the regiment over the last two years. Most battalions now have a waiting list for entry to the full-time UDR, and part-timers willingly meet all the demands made on them for evening and weekend duty. Public support for the UDR is instanced by the fact that the regiment was granted the freedom of the city of Belfast in April 1980 and of the borough of Coleraine in March this year.