Captain BENNasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he can now give an estimate of the total cost of the proposed Singapore base, including the harbour; the additional cost for defence by land, sea and air; expenses which may be incurred in providing a hill station; and all other charges?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have been asked to reply. The policy of the Government in regard to the development of Singapore as a naval base was fully stated in my speech introducing the Naval Estimates on 19th March, 1925. Any additional expenditure is dependent upon future decisions by His Majesty's Government as to the scale and rate of development which is considered necessary. The scale of defence by land, sea and air is now being investigated, and until a decision on these points has been reached no estimate of the cost can be made.