§ MR. MITCHELL-THOMSON (Lanarkshire, N.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether, in view of the reduction of the Channel fleet to fourteen battleships, and the declared intention of the Admiralty to avoid further reductions by replacing ships undergoing an extensive refit with ships from the Home fleet, he can now state what is the minimum duration of a refit sufficiently extensive to entail replacement.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (MR. EDMUND ROBERTSON, Dundee)The time required for the completion of the necessary refit is not the only criterion. One most important factor is the time required to make the ship fit for sea in case of emergency. It is obvious, therefore, that no hard and fast rule can be laid down.