asked the Secretary of State for War whether the British sniper rifle calibre has been standardised with the rifle adopted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

No, Sir. Not yet.

Does the hon. Gentleman realise that there has been talk about the standardising of this rifle for the last 10 or 12 years? What is standing in the way? Who is responsible for the inhibition—the Americans, the Belgians, the Dutch or the French, or is it the War Office?

As I explained to the right hon. Gentleman on 11th December, the project for fixing the 7·62 mm. rifle with a telescopic sight has not been very high in our priorities because the ·303 has been adequate, and the requirement for sniping rifles for the Army is extremely small.

Why does the hon. Gentleman say that it is not high in the priorities? Is he aware that, in 1950, I headed a delegation comprising, in particular, two high-ranking officers from the War Office to negotiate with the Americans, the Canadians and other countries associated with N.A.T.O. on the subject of a standardised rifle? Why does the hon. Gentleman say that there is no particular priority?

One must make a distinction between the rifle and the sniping sight for the rifle. The rifle we have already; the sniping sight we have not yet got.

Mr. Shinwell.

I am flabbergasted. Question No. 12.

I did not hear what the right hon. Gentleman said, but I called him to ask Question No. 12. I gather that he has.

I merely said, almost sotto voce, Mr. Speaker, that I was flabbergasted.

It was so sotto vocethat I was not sure whether Question No. 12 had been asked. But it has been.