Finish ships quickly instead of stretching programs

Earlier Admiralty boards began more work than they could finish, while annual Treasury rules encouraged spending to match yearly estimates rather than construction needs. Money left unspent had to return to the Treasury, but exceeding the estimate required a supplementary request. That accounting rhythm produced fluctuating employment, delayed ships, and artificial attempts to make construction fit the financial year. Annual reconsideration by a new First Lord or Chancellor also exposed unfinished ships to repeated political, financial, and design changes. The act instead committed each begun ship to regular progress on an agreed plan and completion within a set period. Salisbury's argument shows how procurement speed, workforce stability, design control, and public finance were bound together.