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Written Question
Royal Irish Regiment
Tuesday 3rd March 2026

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people served in the Royal Irish Regiment Home Service Battalions on a part-time basis up to and including disbandment in August 2007.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The number of part time personnel who served in the Royal Irish Regiment Home Service Battalions from its formation on 1 July 1992 until August 2007 is shown below:

01-Apr-07

-

01-Apr-06

1,170

01-Apr-05

1,210

01-Apr-04

1,300

01-Apr-03

1,390

01-Apr-02

1,500

01-Apr-01

1,680

01-Apr-00

1,780

01-Apr-99

1,910

01-Apr-98

1,960

01-Apr-97

2,010

01-Apr-96

2,120

01-Apr-95

2,260

01-Apr-94

2,480

01-Apr-93

2,700

01-Apr-92

-

Notes:

  • Figures recorded at 01 April of each year so data for 1992 is captured in the 1993 data.
  • By April 2007 all part time personnel had been phased out.
  • Figures have been rounded to 10.
  • Figures are absolute.
  • Figures may not match UK Data Service (UKDS), which is an archived statistical publication preserved on the National Archives web archive and is not revised when data quality improvements are made to the underlying data. Therefore, there may be small differences between the historic Royal Irish (Home Service) figures published in the UKDS archive and those provided in this response.

Written Question
Ulster Defence Regiment
Tuesday 3rd March 2026

Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people served in the Ulster Defence Regiment on a part-time basis between 1970 and 1992.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Electronic data is only held going back to 1984, prior to this the only information held is on the 1975 and 1980 strengths. This information can be found below.

The Ulster Defence Regiment Part Time Strength as at 1 April 1975, 1 April 1980 and from 1 April 1984 - 1 April 1992

01-Apr-92

2,990

01-Apr-91

3,120

01-Apr-90

3,300

01-Apr-89

3,420

01-Apr-88

3,510

01-Apr-87

3,720

01-Apr-86

3,770

01-Apr-85

3,730

01-Apr-84

4,090

01-Apr-80

4,820

01-Apr-75

6,280

Notes:

· Figures have been rounded to 10.

· Figures are absolute numbers.

Scheduled Event - 24 Feb 2026, 7 p.m. - Add to calendar
View Source
Commons - Adjournment - Main Chamber
Potential implications of the judgment in the case of Advocate General for Scotland v Mr Charles Milroy
MP: Gavin Robinson
Division Vote (Commons)
24 Feb 2026 - Online Harm: Child Protection - View Vote Context
Gavin Robinson (DUP) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 4 Democratic Unionist Party No votes vs 0 Democratic Unionist Party Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 69 Noes - 279
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 Feb 2026
Army Reservists: Employment Rights

"I want to come on to the scope of this in a moment, but I do not disagree with the points that my hon. Friend has made.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a brief conversation with Mr Milroy this afternoon. From the way in which he engaged with me …..."
Gavin Robinson - View Speech

View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Army Reservists: Employment Rights
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 Feb 2026
Army Reservists: Employment Rights

"As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), I will return to the issue of scope, but I appreciate the hon. Member’s point.

I lament the fact that someone who has been campaigning on this issue for six years, personally and with colleagues, has lost …..."
Gavin Robinson - View Speech

View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Army Reservists: Employment Rights
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 Feb 2026
Army Reservists: Employment Rights

"I think the time is coming, though we might not hear it this evening, for the Ministry of Defence to engage in the reality of what has been asserted in the courts. The Ministry of Defence is going to have to accept that, at a time when I, my colleagues …..."
Gavin Robinson - View Speech

View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Army Reservists: Employment Rights
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 24 Feb 2026
Army Reservists: Employment Rights

"Madam Deputy Speaker, through you, may I thank Mr Speaker for selecting this topic for our Adjournment debate? I am very grateful to the Minister for Veterans and People, who is in her place. It is the first time that we have been able to engage in this way since …..."
Gavin Robinson - View Speech

View all Gavin Robinson (DUP - Belfast East) contributions to the debate on: Army Reservists: Employment Rights
Division Vote (Commons)
23 Feb 2026 - Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill - View Vote Context
Gavin Robinson (DUP) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 3 Democratic Unionist Party Aye votes vs 0 Democratic Unionist Party No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 73 Noes - 286
Division Vote (Commons)
23 Feb 2026 - Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill - View Vote Context
Gavin Robinson (DUP) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Democratic Unionist Party Aye votes vs 0 Democratic Unionist Party No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 361 Noes - 84