§ LORD G. HAMILTON (Middlesex, Ealing)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the Admiralty if he would state the amount of the actual expenditure upon new construction (other than that of the Naval Defence Act, 1889) for the first six months of the present 348 financial year; whether any work has yet been commenced upon the first of the two large cruisers originally proposed in the Estimates 1893–4; and how many of the 14 torpedo boat destroyers, whose accelerated expenditure was subsequently substituted for the second large cruiser, have been put out to contract?
* SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH(1) The actual expenditure upon new construction (other than that of Naval Defence Act) has been for the first six months of the present financial year £149,000. The policy of the Board of Admiralty has been to push the Naval Defence ships to completion in the first half of the year, consequently the expenditure on new ships in the same period has necessarily been small, as compared with that falling on the second half of the year. The expenditure for armour also necessarily falls on the second half. During the first six months of the year the total expenditure on new construction has been £853,000–35½ per cent, of the total Vote (labour and materials and contract work), and 46¾ per cent, of the Vote for labour. These figures compare well with the corresponding averages for the first half of the four preceding years. (2) Letters inviting tenders for the Powerful have been sent out. (3) The 14 torpedo boat destroyers named in the Estimates have been ordered, as well as five more.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONMay I ask one further question? Have either or both of the battleships in last year's programme been begun, or either of the three cruisers which were ordered to be laid down in the Dockyards?
* SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHI am not perfectly certain about the progress made with the cruisers at this moment, With respect to the two battleships, the first steps have been taken, and a certain amount of money expended; but it was not intended to commence the actual building early in the year.