§ 2. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for War if his attention has been called to the circulation among warrant officers and non-commissioned officers in 35 Corps Engineer Regiment, of a memorandum indicating that attendance at church services is compulsory; by what authority this memorandum was circulated; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ProfumoYes, I have seen a copy of this memorandum. It was written on the personal initiative of the regimental sergeant major. In this memorandum he drew attention to a number of shortcomings in the standards of warrant officers and non-commissioned officers in his regiment. He was, I consider, perfectly within his rights to do this. I know that this warrant officer, who has a first rate record, now realises that it was not within his authority to order their attendance at church services, since Queen's Regulations already make it plain that no one in the Army should be ordered to attend a religious service with the exception of ceremonial parades of national or local importance of which the religious service forms a part.