asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty what is the proportion of men in the Royal Navy available to attend divine worship each Sunday who do so; and what has been the trend in numbers since compulsory church attendance was abandoned.

Mr. Dugdale:

Detailed figures of church attendance are not available but 15 per cent. is thought to be a reasonable estimate. When compulsory church parades were abandoned there was at first a very sharp decline in the attendance but there has been a marked improvement during the past 12 months.

Is my hon. Friend aware that only a very small proportion of shore based officers ever attempt to set an example to their men in the matter of attending to their religious duties? Is that not a matter into which he could cause some investigation to be made?

Mr. Dugdale:

I would not support the statement made by my hon. Friend. In any case it is a matter for the individual's conscience and not for the Admiralty.