HC Deb 28 July 1908 vol 193 cc1207-9
MR. STAVELEY-HILL (Staffordshire, Kingswinford)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the Report of the Treasury Committee upon the subject of national insurance for merchant ships, and of its conclusion

years to firms of quantity surveyors; how many firms have been employed, and what amounts have been paid to each.

MR. McKENNA

that the latter must depend for protection exclusively upon the Navy, and in view of the fact that the Navy list shows that we have but sixty-seven unarmoured cruisers, most, if not all, of which would be required for service with our battle fleets, with which our armoured cruisers are also mainly intended to serve, the Government are prepared to guarantee the security of our trade routes in time of war.

MR. McKENNA

While we do not commit ourselves to the accuracy of the statements made in the preamble to the Question, the reply is in the affirmative.