§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty what is to be the contract speed of the sixteen destroyers of this year's programme.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouthshire, N.Twenty-seven knots.
§ MR. BELLAIRSWill the right hon. Gentleman tell us why the change has been made from thirty-three knots to twenty-seven knots?
§ MR. MCKENNANo, Sir, not in answer to a Question.
§ MR. BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that it has been stated to Parliament that a speed of thirty-three knots was to be secured, and that no correction of that has been published?
§ MR. MCKENNAI do not think it has been definitely stated in that form.
§ * MR. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Croydon)Has it not been frequently stated that that speed would b3 maintained in future vessels?
§ MR. MCKENNAI am not aware of any statement being made that the destroyers would necessarily have a speed of thirty-three knots.
§ MR. BELLAIRSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in another place on the 18th March, Lord Tweedmouth definitely stated that thirty-three knots would be the speed? That is reported in Hansard in a starred speech.
§ MR. MCKENNAI believe some statement was made in another place, but I do 856 not understand that the Admiralty committed itself to the view that the destroyers this year would necessarily have a speed of thirty-three knots.
§ * MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERMay I ask whether Lord Tweedmouth, the First Lord of the Admiralty, speaking in another place on behalf of the Government, did not definitely -state that it would be a speed of thirty-three knots, and was not the House of Commons justified in accepting that as a statement made on behalf of the Admiralty?
§ MR. MCKENNAMy impression is that it was not a definite statement.
§ MR. BELLAIRSDid he not state that the speed would be thirty-three knots?
§ * MR. SPEAKERHon. Members must give notice of these Questions; it is not fair to press them in this way.