asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents were recorded in each of the last three years, in Northern Ireland, in which military personnel accidentally discharged firearms.

The number of negligent discharges of weapons involving military personnel in Northern Ireland is as follows:

Year	Number
1984	104
1985	101
1986	85
19871	16
1 To 28 February

The vast majority of these incidents occurred when soldiers were clearing their weapons on returning to base following a patrol. Clearance of weapons takes place under supervision in a designated area within the base.