§ MR. YERBURGHTo ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, seeing that the Prize Firing Return for 1902 of the battleships and first and second class cruisers of the Home Squadron shows 1,096 rounds fired and only 262 hits 258 made, he will state what steps the Admiralty intend to take to secure an improvement.
(Answered by Mr. Arnold-Forster.) I have made it clear on several recent occasions in answer to Questions in the House, that the Admiralty are fully alive to the desirability of securing an improvement in the shooting efficiency of the Fleet, and that official notice is taken of results which are considered on a review of all the circumstances attending the firing to be unsatisfactory, while approval is bestowed on ships which do exceptionally well. The figures quoted by the hon. Member refer to firing at a somewhat remote date, and any questions arising out of this practice have been already dealt with by the Admiralty, and no further action appears to be called for.