HC Deb 06 May 1988 vol 132 cc623-4W
Mr. Livingstone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many serving or former serving members of the Ulster Defence Regiment have been charged with criminal offences since 1971.

Mr. Freeman

[holding answer 26 April 1988]: The information is not available in the form requested.

However, since September 1984, 234 members of the UDR have been convicted in the civil courts of criminal offences whilst still serving. These figures exclude minor motoring offences. In the case of serious offences, the soldiers convicted were discharged from the regiment in accordance with UDR regulations. Comparable information is not available before September 1984. Information is not held by my Department about former serving members of the UDR who were convicted of offences after they had left the regiment.