HC Deb 23 November 1908 vol 196 cc1766-7
MR. HUNT

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the sixteen new destroyers building or about to be built for the British Navy have a speed equal to the first-class destroyers building or about to be built for great foreign Powers; whether they can keep up a high speed for as long a time with coal as with oil fuel; whether oil fuel is much more quickly renewed than coal, and does it require much less labour for keeping up speed than coal.

MR. MCKENNA

The Answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative. With regard to the remainder of the Question, it is undesirable to state the experience which we have obtained from the use of oil fuel.

MR. HUNT

Are we to understand that the new destroyers built for the British Navy are slower than those built or building for foreign navies, and may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not the fact that with coal the boilers and tubes get clogged much sooner than with oil, and that, therefore, the vessels cannot go at a high speed for so long?

MR. MCKENNA

The hon. Gentleman has repeated his Question to me, which I have answered fully.

MR. HUNT

I was asking a definite Question.

MR. MCKENNA

Which I have already answered.

MR. ARTHUR LEE

Arising out of the first part of the Answer, is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the new destroyers building for the German Government are 30-knot boats?

MR. MCKENNA

Destroyers being built for the German Government during the current year are boats of a much smaller size than the destroyers laid down for the British Government. That involves the whole question of relative size and speed.

MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)

Is the House to understand that the sixteen new destroyers have not the speed of foreign destroyers?

MR. MCKENNA

That would seem to follow from the reply.