HC Deb 05 March 1897 vol 47 cc54-5
MR ARTHUR JEFFREYS (Hants,) Basingstoke

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether a certain Horse Battery, R. H. A., in the First Army Corps, is still without the new light equipment, and has only four guns, and is without any ammunition wagons; whether the Field Artillery is now between 700 and 800 men short; and, how it is proposed to make good this deficiency?

THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. BRODRICK,) Surrey, Guildford

Every battery of Horse Artillery in the First Army Corps is fully equipped in every respect. The Field Artillery is necessarily under establishment (though not so largely as my hon. Friend suggests), having just dispatched its drafts to India to replace men coming home for discharge to reserve, etc. The deficiency will be met by recruiting as usual.

SIR C. DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)

Will the right hon. Gentleman explain what he means by being fully equipped? Have they got the new guns?

MR. BRODRICK

I think the whole of the First Army Corps have, but there are some batteries that have not been delivered by the trade. Those are the only ones which have not got the new guns.

MR. JEFFREYS

said the right hon. Gentleman had not answered the first part of the Question as to the ammunition wagons.

MR. BRODRICK

I said that the whole of the First Army Corps is fully equipped.

MAJOR RASCH (Essex, S.E.)

, asked if there were only four guns to a battery?

MR. BRODRICK

No, Sir; the First Army Corps batteries have six guns.

SIR C. DILKE

If the right hon. Gentleman finds out he is mistaken in that statement will he correct it?

MR. BRODRICK

Certainly.