§ 26. Mr. COCKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty the annual cost of the upkeep of a first-class battleship, including the pay of the ship's complement, stores, firing practice, and everything necessary to maintain the vessel in a state of efficiency?
Mr. ALEXANDERAs the reply is in tabular form I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The inclusive annual cost of maintenance in full commission as private ships is approximately as follows:
§ Gentleman say whether there is any intention whatever of scrapping either of our latest battleships?
Mr. ALEXANDERCertainly not. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will see the reference that I have given him, which is a paragraph taken out of the recent British memorandum on the conference, it will be quite plain.
§ Mr. ANNESLEY SOMERVILLEMay we understand that the Government have not yet considered the latest American proposals for scrapping battleships, which would give the American Navy, not parity, but a large superiority in gun power and speed?
§ 46. Lord ERSKINEasked the Prime Minister whether proposals have been made at the Naval Conference by any foreign delegation that would entail the scrapping of battleships of the "Queen Elizabeth" or "Royal Sovereign" classes?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe answer to this question is decidedly in the negative.