Would Defence replacements remove the need for small cruisers?

Would Britain still need smaller cruisers if all its cruisers became Defence-style ships?

Yes. Smaller station cruisers would still be useful, while crewing the new ships could require retiring old battleships and reshaping construction.

The replacement ships sharply increase the number of sailors needed, making the old R-class battleships possible sources of crews. Smaller cruisers would still be wanted for duties from bases such as Malta, with Arethusa offered as the appropriate model. Large-cruiser construction could give way to aircraft carriers, destroyers and faster capital ships. Reusing Queen Elizabeth and R-class turrets in an earlier Vanguard-style program is another suggested response. These are consequences of the imagined mass replacement, rather than historical procurement decisions.