§ Lord Swinfenasked Her Majesty's Government: From where further reinforcements will be obtained for the security forces in Northern Ireland, when troops of the Ace Rapid Reaction 38WA Corps that have been used to reinforce the security forces in Northern Ireland are required elsewhere for duties with the corps.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (The Earl of Arran)Post-1997 there will be a total of 38 infantry battalions in the British Army; 18 of these will be assigned to the Ace Rapid Reaction Corps. At present there are 10 battalions in Northern Ireland. Therefore, even in the event of the whole ARRC being deployed, there will be a significant degree of flexibility remaining from which to respond in the event of a crisis.