§ Mr. John Wilkinson (Ruislip-Northwood)On a point of order. We look to you, Mr. Speaker, to defend the rights of this House, and I seek your guidance.
This morning two outrages were perpetrated in the capital, one at Paddington station and the other at Victoria. Hon. Members will be desirous of tabling a private notice question, conscious of the fact that those terrorist attacks took place in the constituencies of other hon. Members. Do you agree, Mr. Speaker, that it might have been more appropriate for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to have come to the House to explain how Her Majesty's Government intend to defeat terrorism instead of giving statements outside this place to the press and to others?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The point of order was made to me. Although I do not wish this to develop into a statement, I shall call the Minister of State, Home Office to respond.
§ Mr. PattenFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I fully understand the strong feelings of my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson) about this issue, but the decision taken by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, after consultation through the usual channels, was, first, that to deny terrorists the oxygen of publicity, which would be brought about by ventilating these issues in this place when they are ventilated quite enough in the outside world by the media, was a considerable step that this House could take. Secondly, statements are not made in this House on every occasion when there is a murderous outrage in Northern Ireland. It was for those two reasons that my right hon. Friend took his decision. I hope that my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood appreciates those reasons.
§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. As I was referred to in personal terms, may I explain something? I have fired a gun at a tank and I fear for thousands of young men who might lose their lives. Therefore, I think that people should go in any official capacity to talk about this before endless youngsters are sent to be maimed or——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I allowed the hon. Gentleman to make that point of order because the House accepts that he holds his view strongly, and he has every right so to do. I hope that, for that reason, no unparliamentary expressions were directed to him.
§ Mr. Gerald Bermingham (St. Helens, South)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. While I fully understand and appreciate the points made by the Minister of State, Home Office and agree that the matter could be dealt with in that way, I feel that we might be more reassured if the Minister would say to us that, at some time, the House will debate the safety of the public in transport systems, both under ground and over ground.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am sure that the Minister of State Home Office will have heard the hon. Gentleman's point.
§ Mr. Jeremy Corbyn (Islington, North)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mrs. Teresa Gorman (Billericay)On a point of order Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We have a heavy day ahead of us and I understand——
§ Mrs. Gormanrose——
§ Mr. Corbynrose——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Please sit down; I am on my feet. We have a heavy day ahead of us and we should try to finish the business before 7 o'clock, when we shall have to move on to the opposed private business. I shall hear the hon. Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman), but I hope that she will be brief.
§ Mrs. GormanFurther to the point of order raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip-Northwood (Mr. Wilkinson). Could the Minister, while he is here, say how, if we are not to discuss the matter of the terrorist outrages perpetrated this morning, he intends to deal with the point raised by my constituents that, by——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I cannot have that. The hon. Lady is making a point with which I cannot deal because it is not a point of order for me. I am sure that her best course would be to see the Minister and get his explanation.
§ Mr. CorbynOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. You will be aware from the exchanges on the statement that we have just heard that Tariq Aziz is returning to Baghdad with proposals from President Gorbachev. May we have an undertaking from the Government that they will make a further statement on the possibility of obtaining a 36 ceasefire on the basis of the response to President Gorbachev's initiative for peace, which appears to have been ignored by both the British and American Governments?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am sure that that point will have been heard by the Leader of the House, who is on the Front Bench.