§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)To ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the 821 original costs of the ships "Bellona," "Katoomba," "Mildura," "Pallas," "Pearl," "Phœbe," "Ringmaroona," "Salamander," and "Tauranga," which were constructed in 1891–2, and which, amongst others, were broken up during the financial year 1906–7, was £1,058,680 and the price realised was only £65,750; if so, can he explain for what reason did the Admiralty condemn these nine war vessels built fifteen years ago; and whether the Admiralty will take into account this loss of £993,000 on vessels which were constructed so recently when preparing their next programme of naval construction.
(Answered by Mr. McKenna.) The hon. Member's figures are correct. Vessels are placed on the sale list when there is no longer any useful function which they can perform in the Royal Navy or when their usefulness is not commensurate with the expenditure required for maintenance. The precise period in a vessel's life when this occurs must evidently vary in each case. As regards the last part of the Question, the Admiralty take into account all relevant circumstances in determining the programme of new construction each year.