§ 103. Sir NEWTON MOOREasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the nature and value of the contracts placed, and now being carried out, in this country on account of the Australian Commonwealth Department of Defence (Naval Department), including cruisers, submarines, and seaplanes; and the contributions being made to naval defence at the present time by the other Dominions, Dependencies, and Colonies of the Empire, respectively?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Davidson)As regards the first part of the question, 306 the following contracts have been placed by the High Commissioner for Australia:
In addition, materials and auxiliary machinery for a seaplane carrier to be built in Australia are being ordered in this country, but I have no information at present as to the value of these contracts.
Approximate Value. £ 2 Cruisers … … 4,300,000 2 Submarines … … 700,000 As regards the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies to the hon. and gallant Member for Devonport (Mr. Hore-Belisha) on the 9th April last (OFFICIAL REPORT, Cols. 2431/3), to which I might add that the only cash contributions made are £100,000 per annum by India for the maintenance of His Majesty's ships in Indian waters, and a grant of £250,000 by Hong Kong towards the cost of the Singapore naval base.