§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether it is the fact that, in or about October of last year, an official was sent from Enfield to Regent's Park Barracks to test the swords belonging to the Royal Horse Guards; whether the swords so tested were the new pattern sword, and when were they issued; whether, out of 15 tested in one troop, only one passed; and, how many in all were so tested, and out of what total, and how many failed to stand the test?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)I have not at present found any record of an official testing of the swords of the Royal Horse Guards in October last; but I am making further inquiries. In the previous January, however, 165 swords belonging to that regiment were examined, when a large proportion were found to be in bad condition, and all were reported as very old, and not worth the cost of repair. The regiment had had these swords for many years, and they had been obtained by purchase on the responsibility of the officers commanding the 1672 regiment, in accordance with the practice which formerly obtained in the regiments of Household Cavalry. All these swords were replaced by new ones when they were found to be in bad condition.