§ 6. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the total estimated cost of the new battleship H.M.S. "Vanguard "; the annual peacetime expenditure that will be incurred in maintaining the battleship; and how much fuel it is estimated this battleship will consume per annum.
Mr. Dugdale:The total cost of H.M.S. "Vanguard," including the value of the gun mountings already available, expenditure necessary for their modernisation and adaptation, and the cost of all guns and armament stores, is estimated to be approximately £11,000,000. Annual maintenance expenditure, covering pay, allowances and pension liability of the crew, maintenance stores and ship repairs is estimated at £650,000. This does not include fuel consumption, which naturally depends largely on the nature of the ship's employment, but it is expected to be in the vicinity of 17,000 tons a year.