§ 13. Mr. de Freitasasked the Minister of Defence who is responsible for appointing and dismissing chaplains in the Royal Air Force and the other Services.
§ Mr. WatkinsonResponsibility for appointing and dismissing chaplains in the Services rests with my right hon. Friends the Service Ministers.
§ Mr. de FreitasIn view of the recent dismissal, as the right hon. Gentleman alleges, of a Royal Air Force chaplain at Mildenhall, can he say whether there is a similar security of tenure, or lack of security of tenure, in the three Services?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI do not think that I can. If the hon. Gentleman would like to put down a Question, I shall try to answer it, but I cannot do so now.
§ Mr. Emrys HughesWould the Minister tell us what would happen to a chaplain who delivered a sermon on the text, "Thou shalt not kill"?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI have, perhaps, not yet had enough experience in my present office to tell what my religious responsibilities are.