§ Mr. SORENSENasked the Secretary of State for War the number of men serving in the Army who profess the following religious convictions: Anglican, Nonconformist, Jewish, Roman Catholic, and others; the number of chaplains of such denominations; and the total payments made for their services?
§ Mr. SHAWThe religious denominations of the warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men on the regimental strength of the British Army, including the Indian establishment, but excluding Colonial corps and Indian Army troops, on 1st October, 1929, as shown on page 74 of the General Annual Report on the British Army, for the year ending 30th September, 1929, were:
1101W
Church of England 130,231 Nonconformists (Wesleyan and United Board 14,641
Jewish 124 Roman Catholic 22,740 Presbyterian 13,596 Other denominations 771 Separate figures, excluding the British Army on the Indian establishment, are not available. The number of chaplains of each denomination on the British establishment is as follows:
— Regular Chaplains. Civilian Officiating Chaplains. Church of England 101 113 Non-Conformist (Wesleyan and United Board). 13 165 Jewish Nil. Nil. Roman Catholic 16 125 Presbyterian … 12 48 Other denominations Nil. 1 The total effective cost of regular chaplains on the British establishment is estimated for 1930 as £100,000; payments in respect of officiating chaplains for 1930 are estimated as £24,300.
§ Mr. SORENSENasked the Secretary of State for War whether recruits are allowed to state on enlistment that they belong to no denomination; whether, if such is not the case, he will take steps to give such recruits liberty to profess no religion or no religious denomination, instead of automatically classing them as members of the Church of England; and whether he will extend the same liberty to men already serving?
§ Mr. SHAWEvery recruit on enlistment is required to declare his religious denomination, and no recruit is automatically classified as a member of the Church of England. If a recruit declares he is an atheist, he would be entered as such and would be allowed, instead of taking the oath of allegiance, to make affirmation thereof. As regards the last part of the question, the Regulations lay down the procedure for a soldier who wishes to change his religious denomination.