§ 2. Mr. MIDDLEMOREasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, in view of the fact that the adequate safeguarding of British interests in the Mediterranean involves at the present moment the presence of only twenty fully-commissioned battleships in Home waters to Germany's eighteen, he will consider the advisability of introducing a special programme of new construction so that it may be possible in future to afford proper protection to our oversea interests without reducing our superiority in Home waters to the vanishing point?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe Admiralty are satisfied that the naval forces available in Home waters at short notice are sufficient to secure the safety of the country. I have no intention of going into details.