HC Deb 28 April 1908 vol 187 cc1076-7
MR. BELLAIRS

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the official assurance that the reserves of cordite for each class of gun is at least as great as it was on 1st January, 1907, excludes from consideration all cordite which is suspected of containing mercuric chloride; and whether it is proposed to reissue any of the cordite now at the depots which contains mercuric chloride.

MR. McKENNA

The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. Cordite containing mercuric chloride will probably be used for practice purposes.

MR. MYER (Lambeth, N.)

In view of the difficulty of obtaining unadulterated cordite will the Admiralty and the War Office take steps to manufacture their own?

MR. McKENNA

That is a large Question, of which I should like notice.

MR. BELLAIRS

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that, on 25th February, Lord Rayleigh's Committee of War Office, Home Office, and independent experts on explosives unanimously recommended the destruction of all the new blasting explosives containing the unlawful ingredient mercuric chloride; whether, in view of this decisive action, he can state what course the Admiralty Committee under Lord Rayleigh recommended in reference to cordite containing this unlawful ingredient which might be found afloat in any warships or in the ordnance depots; and whether all cordite containing mercuric chloride has now been withdrawn from afloat to the ordnance depots while awaiting the results of the War Office experiments as to whether it can safely be used.

MR. McKENNA

Lord Rayleigh' s Committee did not deal with cordite already in the naval service; and the recommendation my hon. friend refers to applied only to blasting explosives seized by the Home Office. The Admiralty have already taken all necessary steps to deal with such naval cordite as may be found to contain mercuric chloride.

LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)

Does the right hon. Gentleman mean he has taken steps to destroy this cordite?

MR. McKENNA

The Admiralty have taken the necessary steps to secure them against danger.

LORD R. CECIL

Is there still some of this cordite containing mercuric chloride on board any vessels?

MR. McKENNA

asked for notice.

MR. BELLAIRS

That is the Question I asked.

MR. McKENNA

repeated his original Answer, adding that the Admiralty were quite satisfied there was no danger.

MR. BELLAIRS

Has this cordite been withdrawn from ships afloat?

[No Answer was returned.]