§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the life of a destroyer is officially reckoned in Germany as twelve years, and that by the time of the submission of next year's programme no less than ninety British destroyers will belong to programmes introduced over twelve years ago; and whether the replacement of the larger number of these craft will receive the close consideration of the Government when they frame the new shipbuilding programme this autumn?
§ MR. LAMBERTThe Board in framing destroyer-building programmes consider not only the age of destroyers built but their condition, and have not adopted any time limit. This and all other questions with regard to the replacement of obsolescent vessels of war will receive close attention before the new programme is submitted to Parliament under Vote 8, 1908–9.