§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he 380 can state if it is the case that the amount of ammunition for heavy guns allowed for practice is now the same as it was in the days of muzzle-loading guns, or what alteration, if any, has been made.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER,) Belfast, W.The amount of practice ammunition allowed for heavy guns is less than was formerly sanctioned in the case of muzzle-loading guns, but owing to the introduction of aiming rifles attached to the guns a great amount of target practice is obtained without the expenditure of the ordinary charges and projectiles. In one important respect, however, a change has been made in the direction of increasing the allowance of ammunition. The number of rounds expended during prize firing is now only limited by the time assigned to the practice, whereas formerly in eases.; where the number of rounds exceeded the quarterly allowance, the amount was deducted from the issue for the succeeding quarter. This change has been introduced with the object of encouraging accuracy and rapid firing.