§ MR. ASHLEYI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the total tonnage of armoured vessels provided by the three programmes of the present Liberal Administration is approximately 150,000, and that during that time the battleship "Montagu" of 14,000 was lost, and in view of the fact that during the same period the armoured tonnage provided by Germany was aproximately 183,000, making a total deficiency in the British programmes of 47,000 tons below bare equality, it is the intention of the Government to take immediate steps to redress the inequality.
§ MR. MCKENNAIn reply to my hon. friend the Member for Orkney, I join with him in deprecating most strongly Questions in which these invidious comparisons are drawn. The figures for the British programmes and for the tonnage of the "Montagu" are correct. As far as is known there are no statistics available to confirm the alleged Gorman armoured tonnage. The proposed comparison, however, does not lead to the conclusion stated by the hon. Member, as although the German tonnage may have been included in the programme, the whole of the tonnage will not be provided at the expiration of the period when the whole of the British tonnage will have been completed.
§ MR. ASHLEYAs the right hon. Gentleman does not know what the 1480 German shipbuilding programme is, how can he confidently assert that it will not be finished as soon as our own?
§ MR. MCKENNAIf the hon. Member will refer to the German Naval Bill, he will see what the programme is and in what time it is expected to be finished.
§ MR. BELLAIRSDoes the right hon. Gentleman say that he will add any British ships to the Navy before the German ships are completed? Does not the statements in the Question lead to the conclusion that the comparison does hold good?
§ MR. MCKENNANo, I do not agree that it does.
§ MR. BELLAIRSDoes the right hon. Gentleman expect to add any vessels to the British total?
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty on what date the orders were given for the three German battleships of the 1908–9 programme; and whether he can state if the fourth armoured vessel of this year's programme has yet been ordered by Germany.
§ MR. MCKENNAWe have no official information that the orders have yet been given, though it is understood from the Press that the three battleships were allotted to various builders in June. No information has yet been published with regard to the fourth armoured vessel.
§ MR. BELLAIRSI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty when he anticipates that the design of the armoured cruiser of this year's programme will have been settled, and when the Board propose to lay down this vessel and the other armoured ship of the 1908–9 programme.
§ MR. MCKENNAThe type of vessel has already been settled as an improved "Invincible." The complete design will be settled not later than October. According to present arrangements, it is proposed to lay down this ship at Devon-port in February, 1909, and complete her in two years, and to lay down the other 1481 armoured ship at Portsmouth in January, 1909, and complete her in two years.
§ MR. BELLAIRSAs the German battleships order was given eight months in advance of the order for the British ships, how does the right hon. Gentleman expect that the latter will be completed before the German ships?
§ MR. MCKENNAWe have no official information that these orders have been given, and my hon. friend has no right to conclude they have been given.