§ SIR JOHN COLOMB (Great Yarmouth)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) what is the number of subalterns of Royal Marine Artillery now serving afloat; (2) what additional number of subalterns would be required for service afloat in the event of the 61 mobilisation of the Fleet; and (3) whether there are only two fully trained subalterns now available for service afloat at the Royal Marine Artillery Headquarters, Eastney, one of whom is already under orders to embark?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYTwelve subalterns, R.M.A., are now serving afloat. The number of subalterns, R.M.A., required for service afloat, in the event of mobilisation, cannot be given, as it would depend upon the ships to be mobilised, which have different complements. The answer to the third Question is in the affirmative. There are 17 officers undergoing instruction in addition.
§ SIR JOHN COLOMBI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what percentage of the number of gunners of Royal Marine Artillery who embarked in the Fleet for the first time during 1896, had passed all artillery drills ac cording to regulations; and what percentage of gunners who re-embarked during 1896 had only not requalified in all artillery drills according to regulation, but were actually re-embarked without requalifying, according to regulation, in Naval gunnery?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYSeventeen per cent. of the gunners R.M.A. who embarked in the Fleet for the first time during 1896 had passed all artillery drills; but none were embarked who had not passed in Naval gunnery. There are no regulations regulations requiring gunners to requalify before re-embarking.