§ COLONEL COLTHURSTasked the Secretary of State for War, What arrangements have been made for the services of a Roman Catholic priest on beard the troopships returning from India with invalids?
THE MARQUESS OF HARTINGTONSir, the troopships which return from India with invalids are those which have proceeded to India with drafts. It has been arranged with the India Office that when a troopship going out to India takes out a minimum of 300 Roman Catholics, including soldiers' wives and children, a priest of that denomination will be provided for the voyage out and the return home of the same vessel. It will, therefore, be for the military authorities in India to arrange that Roman Catholic invalids shall, as far as possible, be sent home in the troopships with Roman Catholic clergymen on board.