§ 12. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any modification is contemplated in our naval warship building programme as the result of recent events in France and Germany?
Mr. ALEXANDERNo, Sir. The statement in regard to the naval programme still holds good, which appeared over my signature in Command Paper 3799 (Statement of the First Lord of the Admiralty, explanatory of the Navy Estimates, 1931).
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYDoes that mean that work on the various warships in hand is proceeding normally?
Mr. ALEXANDERYes. I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the naval programme in the Navy Estimates is the ordinary instalment under the limited figures set out in the London Naval Treaty, and the statement that I 1471 made on the Navy Estimates was to the effect that, if the progress realised at the Disarmament Conference indicated that reduction was possible, it would still be possible for His Majesty's Government to modify their programme.