HC Deb 17 June 1931 vol 253 cc1723-4
10. Commander SOUTHBY

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty upon what dates it is expected that the keels of the cruisers and destroyers of the 1931 naval programme will be laid?

Mr. ALEXANDER

Subject to the statement I made on the Navy Estimates, the ships of the 1931 programme, in accordance with the regular practice, will be ordered at the end of the current financial year and the keels will then be laid as soon as the necessary preliminary work and collection of material have been accomplished.

Commander SOUTHBY

Can the right hon. Gentleman not say what the estimated date of the laying of keels will be?

Mr. ALEXANDER

No, I do not think it is possible for anyone to do that. Sometimes there are slight delays.

11. Commander SOUTHBY

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the estimated dates upon which it is expected that the various cruisers and destroyers of the 1930 naval programme will, respectively, be completed and ready for commissioning?

Mr. ALEXANDER

It is anticipated that two of the destroyers of the 1930 programme will complete towards the end of 1932 and the remaining destroyers and leader early in 1933. The cruisers are expected to complete in the summer and autumn of 1933.

12. Commander SOUTHBY

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the preliminary construction or the laying down of the keels of any of the cruisers and destroyers of the 1930 or 1931 naval programmes have been in any way retarded by reason of the naval agreement supposed to have been reached between France and Italy on 1st March last, or of the conversations continued between those countries and Great Britain subsequent to the breakdown of that agreement?

Mr. ALEXANDER

The answer is in the negative. As I informed the hon. and gallant Member on the 10th June (OFFICIAL REPORT, column 997), it is the usual practice not to place orders for the annual new construction programme until towards the close of the financial year.

Commander SOUTHBY

Does not the right hon. Gentleman now realise that his statement in the House that complete agreement had been reached between Italy and France was not only premature but definitely misleading?

Mr. ALEXANDER

Most certainly not misleading. However, I do not think that that question directly arises from the question on the Paper.

Mr. C. WILLIAMS

But it was premature.