I am replying to your letter of 21 November about the availability of conscientious objector forms under the National Military Service Act 1961.

It is correct that forms to register for military service are available from Post Offices whereas forms for registration as a conscientious objector are only available at offices of the Department of Labour.

There are comparatively few of those required to undergo military training who wish to apply for registration as a conscientious objector. It has been found in the experience of operating the scheme that persons wishing to register as conscientious objectors often request further information on rights and obligations which cannot be adequately answered by other than Labour Department officers.

In these circumstances, it is preferable for members of minority groups to obtain sufficient information from qualified persons rather than obtain information of a general nature only which may or may not apply to their particular case. For these reasons, these forms are not available for distribution on campus throughout the country.