§ Mr. Kingasked the Under-Secretary of State for India how home leave conditions, applicable to chaplains serving under the Indian ecclesiastical establishment, compare with those applicable to officers in the Indian Army who are not in first-line units.
§ Mr. A. HendersonOwing to the differing natures of the leave schemes applicable to the Indian Army and to chaplains of the Indian ecclesiastical establishment, no exact comparison is possible. Officers not serving in first-line units are eligible for 61 clays home leave after five years service overseas, but owing to the accumulation of officers who were unable to avail themselves of leave during the early part of the war it has only been possible so far to work down to those officers with some seven years service overseas. Chaplains of the Indian ecclesiastical establishment are eligible for four months leave under the "Key" leave scheme. For the reasons mentioned in my reply of 26th November leave for such chaplains is being granted at the moment to those with about eight years service in India without home leave.