HC Deb 31 March 1930 vol 237 cc888-9
46. Commander SOUTHBY

asked the Prime Minister whether the Government still adhere to their determination to arrive at an agreement between the whole five Powers taking part in the Naval Conference, and not between two or three of them?

The PRIME MINISTER

Yes, Sir.

48. Sir CHARLES CAYZER

asked the Prime Minister whether any proposals have been made at the London Naval Conference which would involve the scrapping of the four cruisers of the "Hawkins" class in the British Navy?

The PRIME MINISTER

I think it would be clearly undesirable to give information of this character while the negotiations are still in progress and provisional proposals may be modified at any moment. While I am only too anxious to take the House into my confidence at the earliest possible time, I am sure that there will be general agreement that fragmentary information, given in reply to Parliamentary questions, might not only prove misleading to the House, but might also prejudice the success of the Conference. Whatever agreement is come to, it will be a systematically balanced whole and must be considered as a complete plan in relation to the programmes of other Powers.

Sir C. CAYZER

Does not the right hon. Gentleman consider that it would be very false economy to scrap such up-to-date vessels, in view of the fact that, whatever the result of the Naval Conference may be, this country is bound to be faced with a heavy replacement programme in the next few years?

The PRIME MINISTER

I can assure the hon. Member that all those considerations will be taken into account.