§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if he can explain how it was that every Lee-Enfield rifle placed in the hands of each of the 25,000 Reservists who were sent to South Africa in the winter of 1899 was so sighted that the rifle shot eighteen inches to the right at 500 yards; and what steps have been taken to prevent the recurrence of such an error.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERAs regards the first part of the Question will the hon. Member kindly refer to the ample information given on this subject by my right hon. friend the Chief Secretary, during the debate on the Queen's Speech of 1st February, 1900.† I may, however, point out that the error of the position of the sight was only 3/100 of an inch. As regards future action a more stringent
†See (4) Debates, lxxviii., 340.1019 system of inspection of the sighting of rifles has been adopted so as to guard against a recurrence of this error.