§ 77. Mr. GILBERTasked the Secretary of State for War whether recently a new Army order has been issued dealing with the classification of religious denominations in the Army; whether soldiers are compelled to make a declaration as to what religious denomination they belong to, and if any religious denomination is accepted, or whether under this order only certain names are on the Army list; and, if so, will he give the names of such denominations and state if a soldier must be classified to one of the names on the Army list?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. On enlistment, soldiers are asked to make a declaration 1112 of their religious denomination, and their reply is recorded on the attestation paper. There is no restriction whatever upon the religious denominations which may be declared, and the Army Order was issued with the intention of securing that the information furnished by recruit's should be as accurate as possible. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the Army Order referred to.