§ Mr. KIRKWOODI beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely:
The slow manner in which the Government are carrying on their negotiations with Russia, because if those negotiations were carried to a successful conclusion, Russia would be in a position to place orders in this country providing work for 25,000 workers now unemployed in the shipbuilding and engineering industries, and it would involve the probable placing of orders elsewhere.
Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKERI am afraid I cannot take the reason advanced by the hon. Member as sufficient within the meaning of the Standing Order. The hon. Member has slightly altered the wording of the Motion which he put to me originally. Obviously, having found out a mistake in fact in what he said originally he has changed the wording, and the necessity for urgency which he now seeks to show is, in his own words, the slow manner in which the Government are carrying on certain negotiations. In view of that allegation and also in view of the fact that this matter has been the subject of many questions and answers almost daily lately I cannot: hold that it is a matter of urgency.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIn explanation, may I say as regards the words "slow 700 manner "that I coined that phrase as I was making my statement to you, Mr. Deputy-Speaker.