Britain answered Italian light cruisers with several ship types

How did the Royal Navy answer Italy's very light cruisers?

With heavier destroyers and its own Arethusa, Dido, Town, or Amphion light cruisers rather than a single purpose-built counterpart.

Italy's very light cruisers were already under construction before the Second World War, and wartime Italian shipbuilding remained limited. Heavier British destroyers were the usual answer, with Arethusa- and Dido-class cruisers also available. Town- and Amphion-class cruisers represented still more powerful opponents. The Royal Navy could meet the threat with several existing surface-combatant types rather than a single mirrored class.