§ Dr. MurrisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Chaplain's Branch of the Royal Naval Reserve. [81508]
§ Dr. MoonieThere is currently no Chaplains' Branch in the Royal Naval Reserve, it having been disestablished in the early nineties. However, a Chaplains' Branch is scheduled to be re-established as a Royal Naval Reserve branch and this will take effect from 1 January 2003. The Branch will have 18 members, who will be part of a Naval Home Command headquarters unit, trained and administered by the Director General Naval Chaplaincy Service. They will be appointed to Naval Bases and Shore Establishments, where they will be liable for duty should it be necessary for regular Naval Service Chaplains to be deployed operationally.