§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 6 November 1997,Official Report, column 324, what was the overall strength in September (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997 of the Province Reserve Battalion and the Rural Reinforcement Battalion broken down into numbers fully committed to Northern Ireland and the numbers actually deployed there. [20305]
Battalion Number of patrols Police division Approximate district council constituencies 3rd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 96 J Craigavon, Lisburn, Banbridge 4th Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 230 L Fermanagh 5th Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 24 O Magherafelt, Limavady, Coleraine, Moyle, Ballymoney 7th Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 0 A and E Belfast, North Down, Castlereagh 8th Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment1 233 H Armagh 9th Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment 50 D and B Lisburn, Antrim 1 st Battalion Grenadier Guards 104 G Down, Ards, Newry and Mourne 1 st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers 28 N Derry, Strabane 1 st Battalion The Queen's Lancashire Regiment2 165 L Omagh, Dungannon, Fermanagh 2nd Battalion The Light Infantry 125 D Carrickfergus, Newtonabbey 1 st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment 54 N Derry, Strabane 1 st Battalion The Parachute Regiment 169 K Cookstown, Dungannon 1 st Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers3 1 333 H Armagh, Newry and Mourne 1 st Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment4 195 B Belfast 3rd Battalion the Parachute Regiment5 0 D Carrickfergus, Newtonabbey A patrol is defined as any foot or mobile patrol in support of the RUC, regardless of size or duration.
Patrols conducted by the Army for local security around bases are not included.
Some battalions operate in more than one Police Division.
Notes
1 Includes the Queen's Royal Hussars whose squadrons support other battalions in three infantry Brigade's area.
2 Includes one company of the Rural Reinforcement Battalion, currently the 1st Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire.
3 Includes one company of the Province Reserve Battalion, currently the 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
4 Took over from the 1st Battalion the Royal Highland Fusiliers on 15 November 1997.
5 Relocated to the Maze on 27 October and then subsequently to the mainland on 21 November. (One company remained in Province as the Prison Guard Force). The 2nd Battalion the Light Infantry have taken over its area of operations.
166W
§ Dr. ReidThe information requested is set out as follows:
Committed Deployed 1995 Province Reserve Battalion (PRB) 638 138 Rural Reinforcement Battalion (RRB) (1) — — 1996 PRB 651 216 RRB 419 419 1997 PRB 599 147 RRB 496 136 Figures as at 30 September. The Rural Reinforcement Battalion did not exist in 1995. At 30 September 1995, its predecessor, the Fermanagh Roulement Battalion (comprising 583 personnel) was fully committed and deployed in the Province.