§ Mr. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty what was the date of the first sitting of Lord Rayleigh's Cordite Committee; and what proportion of the estimated £200,000 to be spent this year on refrigerating machinery for the magazines is for the ships already built, which have been officially stated to number fifty-one battleships, twenty-eight armoured cruisers, and seventy-six un-armoured cruisers.
§ MR. LAMBERTThe date asked for was 4th April, 1907. Of the total of £200,000, £165,700 is the estimated sum required for ships already built.
§ MR. BELLAIRSCan the hon. Member tell the House what was the first date on which the Admiralty received information that Kynochs were adding mercuric chloride.?
§ MR. LAMBERTI am afraid that I cannot bear the date in mind.
§ MR. BELLAIRSIs the hon. Member aware that the discovery was made in December, and this Committee was only -appointed in April?
§ MR. LAMBERTIf the hon. Member knows that, why does he ask me for the information?