§ Mr. WATTasked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been called to the notice in the public Press that gun practice at Ardhallow Battery, Firth of Clyde, will take place between sunrise and sunset from 19th to 23rd July 616 current, that boating parties are advised to keep out of the are of fire from the battery to three and a-half miles south and south-east, and that carriage hirers are advised to avoid the main road along the shore at that point; whether he is aware that the days chosen, for this practice are the five most crowded days of the year on the Firth, being the Glasgow holidays, that it is impossible for the heavy traffic-to avoid the are of fire, and that consequently there is danger and inconvenience to the travelling public; and whether in future it will be possible to choose days for practice when the traffic on the river is abnormally light instead of abnormally heavy?
§ Mr. HALDANETwo companies of the Territorial Royal Garrison Artillery train at Ardhallow from the 15th to 24th July. These dates are chosen so as to permit as many men as possible to attend training and gun practice without interfering with their civil occupations. I would point out to my hon. Friend the importance of taking advantage of all those local conditions, which undoubtedly increase the efficiency of the Firth of Clyde coast defences, although this may interfere to some extent with the unrestricted relaxations of the travelling public.