§ 45. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Defence approximately how many British Service men have married Indian women 1216 in India during the past three years; how many of these wives have come to reside in this country or are known as desiring to accompany their husbands on repatriation; and whether permission to marry Indian women has to be granted to Service men by military or other authorities.
§ The Secretary of State for War (Mr. Bellenger)I have been asked to reply. The information asked for in the first two parts of my hon. Friend's Question is not available. As regards the last part, there is no provision in Service law which prevents marriages of Service personnel to Indian women, though if the Service authorities considered it to be in a man's own interests there are a variety of steps which they could take to dissuade him from such a marriage.
§ Mr. SorensenCould my right hon. Friend give some rough idea of the number of Indian women who are married to British Service men?
§ Mr. BellengerNo, Sir, I am afraid we have not any statistics.
§ Mr. SorensenDoes that mean that none of the Services has any particulars at all regarding these marriages?
§ Mr. BellengerNo, Sir, that is what I have said in the first part of the answer.