On 12 January, the Secretary of State said in an oral answer:

"As regards naval construction, we have the largest programme under way since the end of the first world war."—[ Hansard, 12 January 2009; Vol. 486, c. 16.]

The Under-Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Davies, said in a written answer on the same day:

"We are currently engaged in the most substantial peacetime naval shipbuilding programme since the first world war."—[ Hansard, 12 January 2009; Vol. 486, c. 71W.]

Given that over the past 11 years, the frigate and destroyer fleet has been cut from 35 to 23, or possibly 22, the attack submarine fleet from 12 to eight—it is heading for seven—and the new destroyer building programme from 12 to only six, and that the start date for the two carriers has been delayed, and whereas in the 11 years to 1939 we constructed six aircraft carriers, five battleships, 54 submarines—