§ SIR FREDERICK BANBURY (City of London)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War if, pending the provision of reliable ammunition and its shipment abroad, any of our stations abroad in the case of unforeseen hostilities would, at the present moment, have to depend on a limited war reserve of .303-inch small-arm ammunition, which, owing to its age or other causes, can no longer be regarded as reliable, and moreover is not packed in chargers.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE WAR OFFICE (Mr. Buchanan, Perthshire, E.)The war reserve of .303-inch small-arm ammunition abroad is in all cases maintained at the figure which is considered requisite to meet the military requirements of each station. As regards the reliability of this ammunition, I would refer the hon. Baronet to the reply the 655 Secretary of State gave him on the 6th instant.†Charger-packed ammunition is only required at stations where the troops have the short rifle; the issue of this kind of ammunition is proceeding pari passu with that of the short rifle.