§ MR. A. CHAMBERLAINIn the absence of my right hon. Relative the Member for West Birmingham, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether, on the issue of the Lee-Metford magazine rifle to the regular Infantry, several thousand stands of serviceable arms, Martini-Henry pattern, were returned to Bagot Street Factory to be 831 broken up; whether Colonel Nuttall submitted a proposal to convert them into carbines for a cost of 7.s. 6d. each, and his pattern was approved by the War Office, and designated Mark II. M.-H. Carbine; whether the Superintendent of the Enfield Factory was then asked to submit an estimate for Colonel Nuttall's pattern, and tendered accordingly for 17s. 1d., being 9s. 7d. more than the estimate from Birmingham; and if he will state what are the facts of the case, and whether the great bulk of the conversion of the rifles into carbines is being done at Enfield?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. WOODALL,) HanleyAll Martini-Henry rifles exchanged for the Lee-Metford rifles are returned to Bagot Street for inspection. If found serviceable they are retained for conversion or store. Only those found unserviceable are broken up. A proposal for conversion was submitted by the Chief Inspector of Small Arms, but his estimate was 10s. per arm. The pattern was designated Mark II. M.-H. Artillery Carbine. No trace can be found of any estimate for 17s. 1d.; as a matter of fact, the work is being done at Enfield for 7s. 1d. The bulk of the work was given to Enfield, as it was considered more properly to belong to a Manufacturing than to an Inspection Department.