§ SIR BERKELEY SHEFFIELD (Lincolnshire, Brigg)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether in Germany the life of a destroyer is officially reckoned at ten years; and whether he can state the number of destroyers laid down in Great Britain and Germany in the last ten years and the number projected for this year.
§ THE CIVIL LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. Lambert, Devonshire, South Molton)I am informed that the official German estimate of the life of a destroyer is twelve years. Taking this-period, 115 destroyers were laid down in Great Britain, and sixty-one in Germany. Great Britain has now 142 destroyers and Germany sixty-one.
§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)Were not the bulk of these destroyers laid 521 down during the earliest portion of this twelve years? The hon. Gentleman has not answered the Question on the Paper.
§ MR. LAMBERTI have answered the Question in the light in which it appears on the Paper.