§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty what information the Admiralty possess as to the temperature to which cordite can safely be submitted in the magazines of Her Majesty's ships; whether in any, and, if any, in what vessels the magazines are placed between the boilers; and in what vessels, by means of non-conducting materials or otherwise, adequate precautions have been taken against the magazines becoming so hot as to render it dangerous to store cordite in them?
THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLE-WORTH,) Lancashire, ClitheroeThe answers to the three questions are:—(1.) Cordite can safely be submitted to a temperature of 100 degs. Fahrenheit in the magazines of Her Majesty's ships without any sensible deterioration. (2) In the Sans Pareil, Nile, Trafalgar, the seven vessels of Royal Sovereign class, 655 and the Hood. (3) In all vessels where magazine temperatures of 100 degs. or above have been noted proper precautions have been, or are being, taken to keep the magazines within that limit.