§ 11. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what will be the total cost of the warships which it has been decided to commence this financial year since the signing of the Naval Treaty?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe vessels which it has been decided to commence this financial year since the signing of the Naval Treaty are three deferred submarines of the 1929 programme and the new construction programme for 1930, details of which were announced to the House of Commons on 25th June. The estimated total cost of these ships, inclusive of cost of guns, torpedoes, and ammunition, is approximately £10,540,000. It should be noted, however, that naval construction cancelled by the present Government would have cost some £12,000,000 and that the total cost of the programmes of 1928, 1929 and 1930 will be well below the cost originally proposed for 1928 and 1929.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYCan my right hon. Friend give the total cost, including guns, torpedoes and ammunition?
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYMy right hon. Friend said "exclusive."
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAWhen is it proposed to introduce the Supplementary Estimate, for how much will it be, and will it be before the House rises?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe Estimate is in the printing press and will be available in the Vote Office as soon as it is received from the printer. The amount is just over £200,000, most of which is concerned with the cost this year of the three submarines which are being built under the 1929 programme.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYHow much employment will that £200,000 give this year?
§ 12. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can give an estimate of the total cost of new building of warships 1939 and replacements to provide the maximum tonnage of cruisers, destroyers and submarines allowed to this country under the Naval Treaty, in order that such tonnage shall be under age at the date of the expiration of the Treaty?
Mr. ALEXANDERIt would be a complete waste of time to try and produce such figures, since, as has already been made clear to the House, His Majesty's Government have no intention of building along the lines indicated. Moreover, it is not possible to give an accurate or useful monetary estimate in respect of various categories in which ships may be built of varying designs and equipment on which no decision can yet be taken.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWhy is my right hon. Friend unable to make this estimate, in view of the fact that the categories of ships are laid down quite clearly in the Treaty and we can only build up to a certain amount?
Mr. ALEXANDERI have already said that His Majesty's Government do not at present propose to build along the lines indicated in the question, and the second part of my answer indicated that until we know exactly all the characteristics of the ships which we may decide to build we can give no accurate estimate.
§ Major ROSSAre we to understand that it is not proposed to build even up to the inadequate limits provided for in the Treaty?
§ 26. Major ROSSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the estimated amount of naval tonnage now under construction or projected by the British Empire and the United States of America, respectively?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe totals are approximately as follow:
These figures refer only to vessels which have actually been authorised and for which money has been appropriated in this year's estimates, except that they include this Government's recently announced programme for 1930 and the submarines of the 1929 programme, for which a Supplementary Estimate is shortly to be introduced.
Tons. United States of America 140,000 British Commonwealth of Nations 115,000
§ Major ROSSDo these figures include all the shipbuilding which is projected or under construction in this country, but only part of that projected for the United States; and is there not a much larger quantity of tonnage projected in the United States which is not included in the return?
Mr. ALEXANDERIf the hon. and gallant Gentleman will study my answer, he will find that his supplementary question is unnecessary. I think that my answer makes it quite clear.
§ Mr. HORE-BELISHAWhen the right hon. Gentleman gives the figures for the British Commonwealth of Nations, does he mean that no ships are under construction in any other part of the British Empire besides this country?
Mr. ALEXANDERThe figures included in the London Naval Treaty were for the Empire as a whole, and it is obvious that in regard to future construction programmes, there must be some consultation.
§ Mr. MARJORIBANKSDid any of the Dominions apply for separate advice and representation at the Naval Conference; if so, what answer was given?