§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked whether the Admiralty have received any information from official or non-official sources to the effect that Austria has actually entered upon a programme of construction of battleships of the "Dreadnought" type; if so, what number of ships of that class are reported to have been laid down; and whether the Admiralty 1058 have any information, official or non-official, leading them to believe that further vessels of that type are to be laid down by Austria in the near future?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have already stated that we have no official information with regard to the construction of Austro-Hungarian battleships. It would not be desirable to make any statement based on non-official information in an official answer to a question in this House.
§ Lord CHARLES BERESFORDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware whether these ships are laid down?
§ Mr. McKENNAIf I were aware it would only be from unofficial information. It would be most undesirable for me to say anything about unofficial information as it would probably indicate the source from which it came.
§ Mr. ARTHUR LEEIs it a fact that there has been an increase lately in the number of slips at which vessels of this class can be built?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes. I have already stated that. I stated it last week.