§ 29. Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the number of troops stationed in Northern Ireland and the extent of the liaison with the Irish security forces.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe number of troops operating in support of the RUC in Northern Ireland as at 31 March 1987 (the most recent available figure) was 17,694. Liaison with the Irish security forces is achieved through the close and growing co-operation between the RUC and Garda.
§ 32. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Defence what are the lengths of the tours of duty of Army units serving in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. FreemanThe six resident infantry battalions in Northern Ireland undertake tours of duty of about two434W years and the four roulement infantry battalions undertake short tours of about four and a half months. These tour lengths, which also apply to most other units in the Province, have remained unchanged for some years. Personnel who are posted to the Province as individuals and not as part of a unit change over—for example, headquarters staff—also serve on tours of about two years.