§ MR. HAROLD COX (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether on the assumption now made by the German Government that the life of a battleship is only twenty years, he can, without taking responsibility for this assumption, state what is the annual cost of a first-class battleship in full commission, taking interest at 3 per cent., and allowing for interest, depreciation of capital, wages of officers and crew, and a proportionate charge for pensions, repairs, and renewals, and other necessary items; and whether he can give corresponding information with regard to the annual cost of a first-class torpedo boat and a first class destroyer respectively, assuming the life of each of these vessels to be ten years.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe annual cost in full commission of the under-mentioned classes of vessels, taking interest at 3 per cent. and allowing for interest, depreciation of capital, wages of officers and crew, and a proportionate charge for pensions, repairs and renewals, and other necessary items, and also assuming a life of twenty years in the case of the battleships and ten years in the case of the torpedo boat destroyers and first-class torpedo boats, respectively, 76 is as follows:—First-class battleship, £231,500; torpedo boat destroyer, £17,500; first-class torpedo boat, £6,100.