§ VISCOUNT HELMSLEY (Yorkshire, N.R., Thirsk)On behalf of the hon. Member for the Horsham Division of Sussex, I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty does the addition of mercuric chloride to cordite, or other explosives, prevent a proper estimation by the recognised service tests of the purity and condition as regards safety of such cordite or other explosives; has any cordite supplied to the British Government by any firm of contractors been found to contain mercuric chloride, and is this substance authorised in cordite; whether in view of the loss of life and damage which would occur were the cordite on our ships of war to suffer spontaneous combustion in consequence of impure materials having been used, and in consequence of mercuric chloride in the cordite having misled inspectors as regards the tests, it is proposed to, or have orders been given to, specially examine all cordite supplied to His Majesty's service, with a view to such cordite being immediately destroyed if found to contain mercuric chloride; whether it is proposed to strike any firms, who may have supplied such defective ammunition, off the list of Government contractors, and to make them responsible for the loss caused to the public.
§ MR.EDMUND ROBERTSONThis question is under active investigation at present, and no statement on the subject can yet be made.