§ 66 and 67. Mr. EVELYN CECILasked (1) whether there is at present at the front only one Church of England chaplain to each brigade, or, in other words, one chaplain to, roughly, between 4,000 and 5,000 men, about three-quarters at least of whom are Churchmen; and whether, in view of the help which the individual ministration of chaplains can give at such a moment, His Majesty's Government will see their way largely to increase their numbers: and (2) whether the Irish Roman Catholic regiments, in which, in fact, the men are not all Roman Catholics, are provided with one Roman Catholic chaplain to each regiment of about 1,000 men?
§ Mr. TENNANTApproval has recently been given for a considerable increase in the number of chaplains allotted to each brigade. There will in future be one Church of England, one Roman Catholic, and one Presbyterian or Nonconformist chaplain for each brigade and one additional chaplain for the predominating religion in the brigade. This arrangement will give two chaplains to each brigade where the predominating community is that of the Church of England. Steps are being taken to supply the extra chaplain required at once. As regards Question 67, the aim is to provide one priest accessible to every unit which is predominantly Roman Catholic.