British Admiralty ordered building 5 cruisers according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1937 no. 4

An item referred to the ,magazine Le Yacht dated 15 May 1937 reporting that the British naval shipbuilding program 1937-1938 included the building of 5-8.000 tons cruisers with a main armament of 9-15cm guns and 2-5.300 ton Dido-class cruisers with a main armament of 6-14cm guns. With the navy was protested against the building of the latter two cruisers considered to be even not equal against the most powerful foreign cruisers.