Junior foreign minister Chris Bryant admitted that the logo was not a religious symbol, being an inversion of the Swiss flag. However, he said: “The truth is that in some cases it has been difficult for us to ensure that connotations of a religious war or crusade do not undermine the work that the Red Cross or Red Crescent are able to do.”

In addition to the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (and the obsolete Persian Red Lion and Sun) there will now be a Red Crystal emblem available in countries where a choice between the two main symbols would cause upset.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement started in 1863, inspired by a Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant. He had been appalled at the suffering of soldiers who were left to die after the Battle of Solferino in 1859.

Mr Bryant said: “There is no need to abandon the red cross or the red crescent, which are very well known and much respected symbols. However, there are circumstances in which a third or fourth emblem is necessary.”

Red Cross spokesperson, Leigh Daynes, said: “The red cross emblem is not ‘under threat’ and the need for a red crystal is not a sop to political correctness. Born of operational necessity, it is another option for the protection of humanitarian workers and the medical services of the British armed forces in situations where use of the red cross or crescent emblems might be misunderstood.

“In these specific circumstances the red crystal would make our workers and the medical services of the armed forces safer. And it will help ensure access to people in need.”

Conservative MP Gerald Howarth said: “The armed forces know and recognise the red cross; equally, it is generally the case that the red cross is not abused. I am worried that unless there is a rigorous regime to ensure that the red crystal is not abused, our armed forces, who are already feeling hamstrung by human rights legislation, could find that our enemies abuse the red crystal and our troops would therefore be at risk.”

Another Conservative MP, John Hayes, said: “The cross has been used as a symbol since prehistoric times. It can be traced to almost every culture, Christian and other, as a symbol that represents a variety of things, such as health, peace or fertility, depending on which culture one turns to. To identify the cross purely, or largely, with the Christian tradition is to misunderstand its history.”

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