§ MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if the aggregate tonnage of British war vessels of every class and type is equal to the aggregate tonnage of the war vessels of France, Germany, Russia, and Italy.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON, Dundee)I am informed that the aggregate tonnage of British war vessels of every class is 2,041,113 tons. The aggregate tonnage for France, Germany, Russia, and Italy is 2,708,461 tons. The Answer to the Question is, therefore, in the negative.
§ *MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this Answer would have been equally true at any time of the last fifteen years, and that these tonnage comparisons are most misleading?
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ *MR BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in obsolete protected cruisers we have over double the tonnage of the nations named in the question?
§ MR. ROBERTSONwas understood to say that he had only to answer the Question put to him.