§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is 711 aware of the unanimous resolution passed by Lord Rayleigh's Committee on 25th February of this year, to the effect that they could not recommend that any of the explosives therein referred to could, consistently with the public safety, be put to any useful purpose or dealt with otherwise than by destruction on the ground that such explosives contained an unauthorised constituent which masked the official test; whether this resolution in any way affected cordite containing mercuric chloride; whether Lord Rayleigh's Committee made any similar recommendation in respect of the War Office cordite containing mercuric chloride; and whether it is proposed to comply with the recommendations of that Committee.
§ MR. HALDANEI am aware of the resolution referred to. It has no reference to cordite. As regards the rest of the Question I have nothing to add to the information which I have already given to my hon. friend.
§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)asked whether there was any similar recommendations as to the destruction of cordite.
§ MR. HALDANEI think not, but I should like notice of that Question.
§ MR. BELLAIRSCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the recommendations of Lord Rayleigh's Committee have been carried out?
§ MR. HALDANESo far as we are concerned we have taken care to comply with them. We have carried them out with regard to cordite ammunition.