§ Mr. GRETTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any of the four additional ships to be laid down in April of next year are to be large amoured cruisers, or whether all four are to be battleships?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAIt is not considered desirable to make any statement at the present juncture.
§ Mr. GRETTONAm I to understand that the Admiralty are reconsidering the announcement they made to this House and the country that they intend to lay down four battleships on 1st April next?
§ Dr. MACNAMARACertainly not. We say on the face of the Estimates that we shall lay down four ships on 1st April next to be completed by March, 1912, and we have not departed from that.