§ CAPTAIN CRAIG (Down, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty how many Royal Marines, officers, noncommissioned officers and men, respectively, were on the strength on 1st February, 1903, and how many on 1st February, 1908; and whether the Admiralty propose to still further reduce this arm of the service.
§ VISCOUNT DALRYMPLE (Wigton)I beg also to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty what was the number of officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Marine Artillery and Royal Marine Light Infantry on the 1st October 1905, and the 1st February 1908, respectively; and whether it is proposed to make any further reduction in the strength of the Royal Marines; and, if so, what is the amount of the contemplated reduction.
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. LAMBERT, Devonshire, South Molton)Excluding 1,163 band ratings transferred to the Marines since 1903, the numbers were as follow:—
1397 As regards the last part of the Question, any alteration in the numbers will appear in the Estimates which will be published shortly.