Mr. DugdaleOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I handed in a Private Notice Question on what is known 1460 as "Operation Anvil," the operation by which a number of people in Nairobi have been arrested. I was informed by your office that that Question could not be accepted because there was another Question put down by my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) for Wednesday which covered it.
I submit, Sir, that my hon. Friend's Question could not cover it because that is a general Question dealing with the whole of the police forces in Kenya and was put down before this operation took place and when my hon. Friend could have had no cognizance whatever of this operation. I submit, further, that this is a matter of great importance, affecting, as it does, many thousands of Africans who have been arrested without the ordinary process of law. I am not criticising anything at all, but I am simply saying that the House should have cognizance of this matter in order that it may be considered and to see whether it is right or wrong.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe Question of the right hon. Member for West Bromwich (Mr. Dugdale) was directed to a certain phase of operations in Kenya and the Question which the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Sorensen) has down for answer tomorrow is, as the right hon. Gentleman said, a general Question, which includes all the operations. In this case I thought that, as the greater includes the lesser, if I allowed the Private Notice Question that would be going in anticipation of the Question to be asked by the hon. Member for Leyton.
§ Mr. SorensenFurther to that point of order. Supposing that the hon. Member for Leyton finds himself unable to be present on Wednesday, will my right hon. Friend then be able to put his Question?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is an entirely hypothetical question, and I hope that the hypothesis on which it is based will not arise.