§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Under-Secretary of State for War if he will inquire into the case of the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Evans, vicar of Melburne, Dorset, who, with the permission of the Bishop of Salisbury, enlisted as a private in the 4th Hants Regiment Volunteer Battalion in March, 53W 1917, and in September, 1917, was offered and accepted the chaplaincy of the battalion, and who since that date has, with the permission of the commanding officer, cycled from Bournemouth every week-end to his parish, returning on Monday morning, taking three services, and who has now received a communication from the Bishop of Salisbury requiring him within a month to take up full residence in his parish; and whether the Bishop of Salisbury has the authority to call upon a soldier to leave the Army under threat of being deprived of his benefice?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI am not aware of the full facts of this case, but I assume from the statements in the question that the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Evans resides during the week at Bournemouth, presumably to look after the men of the 4th Battalion Hampshire Volunteer Regiment, and that he only devotes his week-ends to the care of his parishioners at Melburne. That Dr. Evans should be required to take up full residence at Melburne would not, I think, necessarily involve his leaving his Volunteer unit, as there appears to be nothing to prevent his cycling to Bournemouth to perform such duties with the Volunteers as may be necessary from time to time.