Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the law on genuine occupational requirement, whether he has considered the potential merits of providing non-religious as well as religious pastoral support to armed forces personnel.

Military Chaplains are professionally qualified to provide pastoral care to everyone, regardless of philosophy or faith background. Service personnel who do not wish to talk to a Chaplain are encouraged to seek support from a variety of alternative sources, which can be facilitated by the Chaplain. This includes their Chain of Command, through the Services' professional social workers, medical staff and welfare staff. Mutual support is also available via the various staff networks, including the Humanist and Non Religious in Defence (HAND) Network.

The Department is working to create and sustain an environment where everyone feels able to be authentic; where people feel respected and able to achieve their full potential. We have carefully considered the position expressed by Humanists UK on the provision of non-religious pastoral support for our Armed Forces and have recently concluded a review of this matter. We are currently considering the recommendations of that review and how best we can support all our people.