§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSON (Northumberland, Tyneside)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what is the difference between small-arms ammunition Mark IV. and Mark V., and between Mark V. and Mark VI.; will he state when the manufacture of Mark VI. began; and what quantities have been manufactured, either by the Government or by contractors, of Mark V. and Mark VI. respectively, specifying the quantities produced in each year.
§ *MR. HALDANEThe difference between Mark IV., V., and VI. cartridges lies in the bullets, which in the case of the two former have a hole in the head, and in the case of the two latter have a hard lead core, Mark IV. having a soft core. The manufacture of Mark VI. commenced in 1903. The following millions of cartridges Mark V. and VI. have been manufactured:—
| Mark V. | ||
| Ordnance Factories. | Trade. | |
| 1899–90 | 19¼ | 24½ |
| 1903–04 | 5¾ | — |
| 1904–05 | — | — |
| 1905–06 | — | — |
| Mark VI | ||
| Ordnance Factories. | Trade. | |
| 1899–90 | — | — |
| 1903–04 | 2 | — |
| 1904–05 | 24½ | 30 |
| 1905–06 | 31 | 45 |