HC Deb 22 March 2004 vol 419 cc551-2W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the search records of(a) the 7th City of Belfast battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, (b) the 10th City of Belfast battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment, (c) the 3rd County Down battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment and (d) the regular military units operating in their tactical area of responsibility are still held. [162687]

Mr. Ingram

The search records of all military units in Northern Ireland are held in the Northern Ireland Search Report Archive and reports of any searches which did not produce a find are routinely destroyed after six years when the statute of limitation for claims runs out. Records of productive searches may be held indefinitely in the archives, therefore it is possible that some search reports dating prior to 1992, when the Ulster Defence Regiment disbanded, would still be held.