§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That this House do meet Tomorrow at Eleven o'clock and that no Question be taken after Twelve o'clock; and that at Five o'clock Mr. Speaker do adjourn the House without putting any Question.—[Mr. R. A. Butler.]
§ 4.18 p.m.
§ Mr. William Yates (The Wrekin)As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, yesterday I brought to the attention of the House certain matters for which Her Majesty's Government are duly responsible. Those are their obligations to preserve the status quo between Israel and the Arab States. I would not detain the House for too long on this matter if Her Majesty's Government would be prepared to make a statement on the obligations which our country has not only under the Three-Power Declaration of 1950, but towards the arming of both Israel and the Arab States themselves.
I am quite prepared to accept the adjournment of the House if one of the Ministers on behalf of the Government will make a statement on this matter, but I am not prepared to do so if the Government suppose or believe that the matter is of no concern to them. I notice in The Times this morning the following statement by that newspaper's correspondent in the United States—
§ Mr. SpeakerWould the hon. Member be good enough to relate his observations to the first Motion on the Order Paper?
§ Mr. YatesI am trying my very best, Mr. Speaker, to tell you and the House, and with the leave of the House, why I do not propose to vote in favour of this Motion. I am trying to explain to the House that I do not wish to vote for the adjournment of the House until the Lord Privy Seal has made a statement on a matter which I consider to be of urgent public importance.
§ Mr. SpeakerWe are not discussing the adjournment of the House at the moment, as far as I understand. Will the hon. Member relate his observations to the Question that we are discussing?
§ Question put and agreed to.