§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he will state when it came to the knowledge of the War Office that the punishment of shot drill was inflicted on prisoners in the military ceils at Lichfield till 17th February last; on how many prisoners from the time of the abolition of shot drill in the Army, in April, 1899, till 17th February last was this punishment inflicted, and for what periods in each case; who were the officers responsible for the infliction of this punishment, and what notice, if any, has been taken of their conduct, and what compensation has been given to the men on whom this shot drill has been thus inflicted; and will he state what explanation, if any, has the War Office to offer for the continuous practice of this custom at Lichfield for four years after its abolition in the Army, and in what other military prisons has this punishment been inflicted: and, whether he will cause to be 27 circulated the Report for which he has asked with reference to the infliction of sentences of shot drill, and the results of the inquiry he directed.
§ MR. BRODRICKI have nothing to add to the information which I have already given to the hon. Member.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLAs a matter of order I wish to draw your attention Mr. Speaker to the answer I have just received. I put down a Question, not at all cognate to any I have previously asked, and the right hon. Gentleman tells me he has no additional information to give me.
§ * MR. SPEAKERIf the right hon. Gentleman says so, the Question whether or not he should say so cannot be discussed. I cannot judge whether the answer is right or wrong. It is an answer to the Question on the Paper.