HC Deb 03 April 1982 vol 21 cc629-32

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, at this day's sitting, Mr. Speaker do adjourn the House at Two o'clock without putting any Question.—[Mr. Jopling.]

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Swindon (Mr. Stoddart) gave me notice of a manuscript amendment, which I do not propose to accept. The manuscript amendment proposes that the sitting should continue until 5 o'clock. If the House wishes to vote on the motion, I think that it had better do so straight away to avoid taking time out of the main debate. If the motion were rejected, we would have an open-ended debate.

11.7 am

Mr. David Stoddart (Swindon)

I wish to speak briefly to the motion and to give my reasons for asking that the manuscript amendment be accepted.

The motion proposes a three-hour debate. Quite naturally, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and other senior Front Bench spokesmen will wish to put the point of view of the Government and of the Opposition. The House is packed with Privy Councillors, ex-Prime Ministers and ex-Foreign Secretaries, who are entitled to give the House the benefit of their long experience. There will therefore be very little time left for Back-Bench Members to give their views and those of their constituents whom they will have consulted yesterday about the grave crisis facing this country and the international terrorism perpetrated on the Falkland Islands by the Argentine Government.

I hope, therefore, that the House will vote against the motion so that we may have an adequate discussion on this matter.

Question put:—

The House divided: Ayes 204, Noes 115.

Division No. 117] [11.07 am
AYES
Adley,Robert Goodhew,SirVictor
Alexander,Richard Goodlad,Alastair
Ancram,Michael Gorst,John
Arnold,Tom Gow, Ian
Aspinwall,Jack Grant, Anthony (Harrow C)
Atkins, RtHon H.(S'thorne) Greenway, Harry
Atkins,Robert(PrestonN) Grist, Ian
Atkinson,David(B'm'th,E) Grylls,Michael
Baker,Kenneth(St.M'bone) Gummer,JohnSelwyn
Banks,Robert Hamilton,Michael(Salisbury)
Bendall, Vivian Hampson, DrKeith
Benyon, W(Buckingham) Hannam,John
Bevan,DavidGilroy Haselhurst,Alan
Biffen, RtHon John Havers, Rt Hon Sir Michael
Blackburn,John Hayhoe, Barney
Blaker, Peter Heddle,John
Body, Richard Higgins, Rt Hon Terence L.
Bonsor.SirNicholas Hill,James
Boscawen.HonRobert Hogg.HonDouglas(Gr'th'm,)
Bottomley, Peter (W'wich W) Holland, Philip(Carlton)
Bowden,Andrew Howe, Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey
Boyson,Dr Rhodes Howell, Ralph (N Norfolk)
Braine,SirBernard Hunt, David (Wirral)
Bright.Graham Hurd, RtHon Douglas
Brooke, Hon Peter Jenkin, Rt Hon Patrick
Browne,John(Winchester) Jessel, Toby
Bryan, Sir Paul JohnsonSmith,Geoffrey
Buck,Antony Jopling,RtHonMichael
Budgen,Nick Joseph, Rt Hon Sir Keith
Burden,SirFrederick Kellett-Bowman.MrsElaine
Butcher,John Kershaw, SirAnthony
Carlisle, John (Luton West) King, RtHon Tom
Carlisle, Kenneth (Lincoln) Kitson,SirTimothy
Carlisle, RtHonM. (R'c'n) Lang, Ian
Chalker, Mrs. Lynda LeMarchant,Spencer
Channon, Rt. Hon. Paul Lennox-Boyd.HonMark
Chapman,Sydney Lester, Jim (Beeston)
Churchill,W.S. Lewis,Kenneth(Rutland)
Clark, SirW. (Croydon S) Lloyd, Peter (Fareham)
Clegg.SirWalter Loveridge.John
Colvin,Michael Luce,Richard
Cope,John Lyell, Nicholas
Costain,SirAlbert McCrindle, Robert
Critchley.Julian Macfarlane.Neil
Crouch,David Macmillan, RtHonM.
Douglas-Hamilton, LordJ. McNair-Wilson,M.(N'bury,)
Dover.Denshore McQuarrie, Albert
du Cann, Rt Hon Edward Madel, David
Dunn, Robert (Dartford) Major, John
Durant.Tony Marland.Paul
Eden, RtHon Sir John Marlow,Antony
Edwards, Rt Hon N. (P'broke) Marshall,Michael(Arundel)
Eggar.Tim Mates,Michael
Emery, Sir Peter Mawhinney,DrBrian
Eyre,Reginald Maxwell-Hyslop, Robin
Faith, MrsSheila Mayhew, Patrick
Fell, Sir Anthony Mellor, David
Fenner, Mrs Peggy Miller,Hal(B'grove)
Finsberg,Geoffrey Mills,Iain(Meriden)
Fisher, Sir Nigel Mills, Peter (West Devon)
Fletcher, A. (Ed'nb'ghN) Mitchell,David(Basingstoke)
Fletcher-Cooke.SirCharles Moate, Roger
Forman,Nigel Moore.John
Fowler, Rt Hon Norman Morris, M. (N'hamptonS)
Fraser, Peter (South Angus) Moyle, RtHon Roland
Fry, Peter Murphy,Christopher
Gardiner, George(Reigate) Nelson,Anthony
Garel-Jones,Tristan Neubert,Michael
Gilmour, RtHon Sir Ian Normanton.Tom
Glyn, DrAlan Nott, RtHon John
Goodhart.SirPhilip Onslow, Cranley
Oppenheim, Rt Hon Mrs S. Stewart, Ian (Hitchin)
Osborn,John Stokes,John
Page, John (Harrow, West) StradlingThomasJ.
Page, Richard (SWHerts) Taylor, Teddy (S'end E)
Parkinson, RtHonCecil Tebbit, Rt Hon Norman
Patten.Christopher(Bath) Thatcher, Rt Hon Mrs M.
Pattie,Geoffrey Thompson,Donald
Pawsey, James Thorne, Neil (IlfordSouth)
Percival, Sir Ian Townsend, Cyril D, (B'heath)
Peyton, Rt Hon John Trippier, David
Porter, Barry van Straubenzee, Sir W.
Proctor, K. Harvey Vaughan, DrGerard
Pym, Rt Hon Francis Viggers, Peter
Raison, Rt Hon Timothy Waddington, David
Rathbone, Tim Waldegrave, HonWilliam
Rhys Williams, Sir Brandon Walker, B. (Perth)
Ridley,Hon Nicholas Walker-Smith, Rt Hon Sir D.
Rossi, Hugh Wall.SirPatrick
Sainsbury.HonTimothy Ward,John
Shaw, Giles (Pudsey) Warren,Kenneth
Shaw,Michael (Scarborough) Watson,John
Shelton.William(Streatham) Wheeler,John
Shepherd,Colin (Hereford) Whitelaw, RtHonWilliam
Silvester, Fred Whitney, Raymond
Sims, Roger Wickenden,Keith
Skeet, T. H. H. Wilkinson,John
Speed, Keith Williams.D.(Montgomery,)
Speller,Tony Young,SirGeorge(Acton)
Spicer, Jim (WestDorset) Younger, Rt Hon George
Spicer, Michael (S Worcs)
Squire,Robin Tellers for the Ayes:
Stainton, Keith Mr. Carol Mather and Mr. Anthony Berry.
Stanbrook,lvor
NOES
Aitken,Jonathan Coleman,Donald
Alton,David Cormack, Patrick
Amery, Rt Hon Julian Cox.T. (W'dsw'th, Toot'g)
Ashley, Rt Hon Jack Cranborne, Viscount
Berth, A. J. Crawshaw,Richard
Benn, Rt Hon Tony Davis, Clinton (Hackney C)
Bennett,Andrew(St'kp'tN) Davis, Terry (B'ham, Stechf'd)
Bidwell,Sydney Dobson,Frank
Biggs-Davison,SirJohn Dubs, Alfred
Bottomley, RtHonA(M'b'ro) Dunnett.Jack
Bray, Dr Jeremy Eastham.Ken
Brocklebank-Fowler.C. Edwards, R. (W'hampt'n S E)
Brown, Hugh D. (Provan) English,Michael
Brown, Ronald W. (H'ckn'yS) Ennals, Rt Hon David
Callaghan, Jim (Midd't'n&P) Farr,John
Campbell,Ian Field, Frank
Campbell-Savours, Dale Fitt, Gerard
Carmichael.Neil Foulkes, George
Clark, Hon A. (Plym'th, S'n) Fraser, J. (Lamb'th, N'w'd)
Cohen,Stanley Freeson, RtHon Reginald
George,Bruce Robertson,George
Gilbert, RtHon Dr John Robinson, P. (Belfast E)
Hamilton, W.W. (C'tral Fife) Rodgers, RtHonWilliam
Haynes, Frank Rooker, J. W.
Holland, (L'b'th,Vauxh'll) Roper,John
Homewood, William Rowlands,Ted
Hordern,Peter Sheerman,Barry
Janner.HonGreville Sheldon, Rt Hon R.
Jay, RtHon Douglas Silkin, Rt Hon S. C. (Dulwich)
Jenkins, Rt Hon Roy (Hillhead) Silverman,Julius
Johnston, Russell(Inverness) Soley, Clive
Kilfedder,JamesA. Spearing,Nigel
Kilroy-Silk.Robert Stallard,A.W.
Lamond, James Stewart, Rt Hon D. (W Isles)
Leighton, Ronald Stoddart,David
Lewis, Ron (Carlisle) Straw,Jack
Lloyd, Ian (Havant & W'loo) Summerskill,HonDrShirley
Lofthouse,Geoffrey Temple-Morris,Peter
McGu ire, Michael (Ince) Thomas, Mike (Newcastle E)
MacKenzie, RtHonGregor Tilley,John
McTaggart, Robert Torney,Tom
McWilliam.John Urwin, RtHon Tom
Magee, Bryan Wainwright E. (DearneV)
Marks,Kenneth Weetch, Ken
Mitchell, Austin(Grimsby) Welsh,Michael
Molyneaux,James White, Frank R.
Morgan,Geraint White, J. (G'gowPollok)
Morris, Rt Hon C. (O'shaw) Williams, Rt Hon A.(S'sea W)
Newens, Stanley Williams, Rt Hon Mrs (Crosby)
Ogden,Eric Wilson, RtHonSirH.(H'ton)
Owen, Rt Hon Dr David Winnick, David
Paisley, Rev Ian Woodall,Alec
Park, George Woolmer,Kenneth
Pendry,Tom Wright.Sheila
Pitt, William Henry Young, David (Bolton E)
Powell, Rt Hon J.E. (S Down)
Powell, Raymond(Ogmore) Tellers for the Noes:
Price, C. (Lewisham W) Mr. John Maxton and Mr. John Home Robertson.
Radice, Giles
Richardson.Jo

Question accordingly agreed to.

Mr. Michael English (Nottingham, West)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday, as reported in column 620 of Hansard, your Deputy undertook to enter into certain consultations in answer to a question of mine about whether the Foreign Secretary could be examined at the Bar of the House about the Falkland Islands. Could you please inform us of the results of those consultations?

Mr. Speaker

Only the House can decide on that question. It is not a matter for a ruling by Mr. Speaker.