§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCK-ALLAN (Durham, S.E.)asked the Secretary of State for War, Whether his attention has been called to a statement which has appeared recently in an Indian newspaper, alleging that the whole Royal Artillery in India, both Horse and Field, are still only armed with the obsolete 9-pounder field gun; whether this statement is correct; and, if so, how far; whether he can hold out to the House any hopes that this state of things will be amended at an early date; and, whether he can, with due regard to public expediency, indicate to the House any approximate date at which our Artillery in India may be expected to be put into a state of efficiency for field service, by being armed with a more modern field gun?
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Sir JOHN GORST) (Chatham)(who replied) said: Three batteries armed with 12-pounder breech-loading field guns have been sent to India, and six more will be sent this year. The time within which the new guns can be supplied to the whole of the batteries in India depends, as I explained on May 23, 1887, on financial and other considerations.
§ SIR HENRY HAVELOCK-ALLANgave Notice that, inasmuch as he regarded the answer given by the right hon. Gentleman as not wholly satisfac- 1038 tory, he should, if the matter were not settled in the meantime, call attention to it on the Indian Budget.