§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has any official information showing that the Imperial German Navy has modified its shipbuilding programme by building six armoured cruisers instead of six protected cruisers as laid down in its published statement; and whether, instead of laying down twelve destroyers last year according to the published programme, it in fact laid down twenty four, and is now about a full year ahead of its normal destroyer programme?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe German Navy Estimates do not recognise the classification of armoured and protected cruisers, but only those of large and small cruisers. It is understood that some of the latter are protected by a certain amount of vertical armour.