§ Mr. D. M. MASONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty when the Intelligence Department of the Admiralty first discovered that the figures of German construction, on which he relied last year or the year before, were inaccurate?
§ Mr. McKENNAI must refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on Thursday last to my hon. Friend the Member for Tyneside.
§ Mr. DAVID MASONWill the right hon. Gentleman explain to the House what justification there was for proceeding with expenditure that was apparently authorised by the House on the forecast made by him, and which he subsequently admitted——
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the answer.
§ Mr. BYLESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty would he inform the House upon which of his advisers at the Admiralty he relied for the information on which he based his erroneous forecast in 1909 as to the probable strength of the German Navy in 1910–13; and what punishment, if any, had been administered to those who are responsible for this costly blunder?
§ Mr. McKENNAI must refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on Thursday last to my hon. Friend the Member for Tyneside, from which he will see that the question is based on a misapprehension. My hon. Friend does not appear to have drawn the necessary distinction between a statement of fact and an inference drawn therefrom. The statements of fact made by me were strictly accurate, and I take full responsibility for such inference as I drew from them.
§ Mr. McKENNANo; as I shall hope to explain in the course of the Debate on the Navy Estimates. I do not think the inference has cost us any extra millions.
§ Mr. BYLESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is giving grave consideration to the navy debates now proceeding in the German Reichstag, and in particular to the assurances of the Secretary of State, Admiral von Tirpitz, disclaiming any idea of supremacy or aggressive intent or of any hostile feeling towards this country; and whether these assurances and the diminished rate of shipbuilding in the German navy will suffice to modify in some degree the Naval Estimates shortly to be presented to this House?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe hon. Member may rest assured that all available information with reference to all countries is carefully taken into consideration when the Naval Estimates are being prepared, in order that they may be framed with due regard to economy whilst at the same time ensuring the provision of a sufficient force for the defence of this country. With regard to the allegation contained in the last part of the question, as to the diminished rate of shipbuilding in Germany, the published Estimates of the German Navy for 1911–12 show that the same rate of shipbuilding is to be maintained as in the last two years.