§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W.)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office if he will state the number of Maxims, Nordenfelt, and Gardner machine guns, respectively, in use in the Regular Army; the number required to complete the armament; the number of each ordered for the present financial year, and where the orders have been placed; and also the cost of manufacture at Enfield Small Arms Factory, and the price paid to private firms for each class of gun.
§ * THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. BROMLEY DAVENPORT,) Cheshire, MacclesfieldThere are in use in the Regular Army 990 Maxims, 33 Nordenfelts and 90 Gardner machine guns and a reserve of 25 per cent is held. The number of guns required to complete the armament is 110 Maxim guns; 81 are available for issue in store and 80 are still due on last year's orders. 100 Maxim guns have been ordered this year, one-half being placed with the Ordnance Factories and one-half with Messrs. Vickers, Maxim and Company. The only private firm manufacturing Maxim guns is Vickers, Maxim and Company, whose invention the gun is, and when arrangements were made with them for manufacture by them and the Ordnance Factories an undertaking was given not to divulge the price paid.