In British hospitals, an alliance of members of parliament is trying to introduce a chaplain for each one of the most important religions, by launching a pressure campaign to assure the pastoral treatment of the ill. The group, called "All Party Parliamentary Group for Chaplaincy" is supported by over forty members of the House of Commons having different religions. In the last few years, the British government declared its intention to reduce the number of chaplains in hospitals, assuring a sole ‘multireligious’ representative taking care of patients with different religions. Last month, a report drawn up by the religious study centre "Theos" made known that, in the last two years, cuts in hospital budgets reduced the number of chaplains by 17%. "We are afraid that chaplains may be seen as figures one can go without", said Mike Penning, shadow conservative minister of health, president of the new parliamentary group. Next year, in June, an important meeting on Catholic health will be set up. Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, primate of English Catholics, is going to take part in it.
