I have today placed in the Library of the House the structured plan for the phased reduction of troops to peacetime levels, assuming the continued maintenance of an enabling environment, which the Government agreed to produce as part of the programme for security normalisation in Northern Ireland announced last year.Tranche 1 of the plan has been completed ahead of schedule, including the removal of the three hilltop observation posts, the dismantling of the military supersanger in Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Newtonhamilton and the removal of the military observation posts in Masonic Base and on Divis Tower. Forkhill has been vacated and closed, and the Army has withdrawn from the PSNI stations at Kinawley and Rosslea. The six month roulement Battalion known as Northern Ireland Battalion 1 (NIBAT 1) was withdrawn from Northern Ireland on 16 January. This marked the withdrawal of the last roulement Battalion deployed in Northern Ireland.We shall be consulting with the trades unions on the implementation of this plan once the full impact of the normalisation programme on civilian staff has been established.

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