§ Mr. W. YatesMr. Speaker, you are aware that I attempted within the rules of order of the House to obtain a statement from the Lord Privy Seal on the headline in the Daily Mail this morning—
§ Mr. SpeakerI have had occasion to remind the hon. Member before that Private Notice Questions which are not allowed are not to be mentioned.
§ Mr. YatesI do not mention it as a Private Notice Question. I am pointing out that I was unable to obtain a statement from the Minister within the rules of order of the House because the House rises on Wednesday.
In those circumstances, and with your permission, Mr. Speaker, I desire to move the Adjournment of the House—which is the only remedy left to me as a back bencher before Recess—under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the obligations of Great Britain, a co-signatory of the 1950 three-Power Declaration, concerning the state of armistice between Israel and the Arab States, and also her obligations outlined in her foreign policy statements of the arms embargo to the Middle East, in view of the fact that the French Government, likewise a co-signatory and a member of N.A.T.O., are unilaterally re-equipping the Israel Army and Air Force and are believed to be giving Israel the necessary technical aid to convert a reactor, given to Israel by the United States for peaceful purposes, to that of the manufacture of atomic weapons.
The first thing to decide is whether the matter is urgent. I submit that, in view of the genuine efforts made by this country to bring about disarmament and because we do not wish to see the supply of atomic equipment extended beyond the Soviet Union, the United States and ourselves, it is automatically a matter of urgency.
The second question is whether it is a matter of importance. As we are co-signatories of the Declaration, which guarantees the present status quo between Israel and the Arab States, I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that it must be a matter of importance and one in which Her Majesty's Government have a definite responsibility. Either their foreign policy is an arms embargo or it is not.
For those reasons, and for others, I submit to you that this matter should be debated here and now before the Christmas Recess as a matter of definite and urgent public importance.
§ Mr. SpeakerWill the hon. Member be good enough to bring me his Motion?
The hon. Member has asked for leave to move the Adjournment of the House 893 under Standing Order No. 9 for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance; namely:
the obligations of Great Britain, a co-signatory of the 1950 three-Power Declaration, concerning the state of armistice between Israel and the Arab States and also her obligations outlined in her foreign policy statements of the arms embargo to the Middle East, in view of the fact that the French Government, likewise a co-signatory and a member of N.A.T.O., are unilaterally re-equipping the Israel Army and Air Force and are believed to be giving Israel the necessary technical aid to convert a reactor, given to Israel by the United States for peaceful purposes, to that of the manufacture of atomic weapons.I am afraid that I cannot hold the hon. Member's Motion to be within the Standing Order.
§ Mr. YatesFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the rising of the House, I think it would be polite if I gave notice that I will not vote for the Adjournment of the House until Her Majesty's Government make a statement on this matter.