§ CAPTAIN COTTON (Cheshire, Wirral)asked the Secretary of State for War, in the event of the First and Second Army Corps, including ammunition columns, being despatched on active service, What will be the number of batteries of Horse and Field Artillery remaining available for the following purposes respectively:—the supply of the waste of the Army in the field; the reinforcement of the Indian and Colonial Establishments; and action with the Regular, Militia, and Volunteer Infantry remaining in the United Kingdom?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)In the event of two Army Corps being suddenly sent upon foreign service, it would be necessary, if there was no 1352 time to organize other ammunition columns, to utilize for this purpose 14 batteries of Field Artillery, and there would then be left only 537 officers and men of the Royal Horse Artillery, with 16 guns, and 2,069 of the Field Artillery, with 40 guns, including the depoôts; but in the event of mobilization for home defence, there would be no occasion to break up the 14 field batteries not required for service with the two Army Corps, and they would be all available. The establishment of Royal Artillery was fixed after an elaborate inquiry two years ago into the whole organization of our Army.