Could simplified Type B cruisers save money through repetition?

Could two simplified County-type cruisers have been cheaper and quicker through economies of scale?

No. Their hulls differed too much, and the design still required costly work such as a new 8-inch turret.

Leaving parts out of two existing County-type ships would not have produced a straightforward dockyard economy of scale. The proposed Type B vessels were not repeat Counties: their hulls and other major features differed too much for simple repetition to remove design work. The programme also incurred the expense of developing a new 8-inch mounting, losing one of the savings that might have justified the compromise. Apparent standardisation must be tested against actual design commonality, production learning, and development cost.