§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the total number of officers and men that will be required to man the battleships, armoured cruisers, small cruisers, and destroyers now under construction or to be laid down for the British Navy in 1910–11, and all of which will be completed by April, 1913?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. McKenna)It is considered undesirable to give information as to the numbers of officers and men that will form the crews of the ships now under construction or to be laid down.
§ Mr. MIDDLEMORECan the right hon. Gentleman give the House any idea of the arrangements for manning the fifteen cruisers and twenty-six destroyers?
§ Mr. McKENNATo give an idea which would convey the numbers would be undesirable, and an answer which did not convey numbers would not be of any advantage to the hon. Member.