HC Deb 15 December 1988 vol 143 c687W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing the number of troops deployed in Northern Ireland and the number of his Department's civil servants stationed there in each year from 1969 to the present date.

Mr. Archie Hamilton

The information available on the Armed Forces and MOD civilian numbers in Northern Ireland on 1 January of each year since 1969 and at the latest date is as follows:

Regular Forces UDR Civilians
1969 4,902 n/a
1970 8,816 n/a
1971 11,100 4,000 n/a
1972 15,323 6,700 n/a
1973 18,382 9,000 n/a
1974 16,991 7,816 n/a
1975 15,732 7,676 n/a
1976 15,627 7,793 n/a
1977 15,427 7,616 n/a
1978 15,287 7,812 3,364
1979 13,704 7,761 3,305
1980 13,389 7,425 3,231
1981 12,143 7,431 3,087
1982 11,799 7,350 2,947
1983 11,357 7,026 2,825
1984 10,260 6,929 2,761
1985 10,222 6,468 2,709
1986 10,090 6,508 2,693
1987 11,158 6,535 2,621
1988 10,887 6,364 2,618
(1 July) 1988 11,164 6,310 2,625
n/a =not available.

Regular Forces numbers in 1969, 1970 and 1971 are at 1 July. Recruitment to the UDR was authorised to commence on 1 January 1970. Civilian numbers prior to 1978 are not readily available and could only be produced at disproportionate cost. Civilian numbers in 1978 are at 1 April.