§ 15. Mr. HALL-CAINEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what will be the annual saving to this country effected by the adoption of the disarmament proposals put forward on behalf 832 of the British Government at the current Geneva Conference?
§ Mr. EDENI regret that it is impossible for me to give any indication of what the annual saving to this country would be if the proposals made by my right hon. Friend at Geneva on Monday last were fully adopted by the Disarmament Conference. The proposals only deal with certain aspects of each arm of the Services, and it would be impossible to compute, by reference to the existing Estimates of the Services, what economies might be made in each ease.
16. Viscountess ASTORasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the question of the total abolition of submarines is on the agenda for the Disarmament Conference; and whether this proposal has the support of the British Government?
§ 19. Mr. STOURTONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if, in view of the numerous submarine disasters which have taken place since the War involving the loss of life, he will consider taking steps through international co-operation to abolish the submarine as a weapon of warfare?
The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Sir Bolton Eyres Monsell)It has been made clear by the speech delivered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the United Kingdom Delegation at the Disarmament Conference on Monday, that the proposal to abolish submarines continues to have the support of the Government of this country.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that owing to the development which is taking place in our aircraft we are now able to carry torpedoes in that way; and has not that development put the submarine, as well as the battleship, out of date?