§ Mr. Harold DaviesMr. Speaker, I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely,
the threat to peace in Laos and the undertaking by Her Majesty's Government to send troops to Laos in support of intervention by S.E.A.T.O.I do not wish to detain the House for more than a minute of two, but I should like to point out to you, Sir, that this is the only opportunity that the House will get to discuss this matter, which is of vital importance to the British public, namely, whether British troops should be sent to this area. This sort of situation has occurred on many occasions during Parliamentary Recesses, and if we do not take this opportunity now we may come back after the Recess and find that the British people are committed without the House of Commons having had an opportunity to discuss to the full the dispatch of troops from this country or elsewhere, in the name of Her Majesty's Government, to South-East Asia.This could create a crisis in the British Commonwealth of greater magnitude than that of South Africa, because of the situation of Pakistan in relation to the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation and the definite opposition of Mr. Nehru, in India. I need not expand on the 959 situation. To any thinking person, especially those who know, as I claim to know, something of the history of Laos and of the intervention in that neutral country when it was neutral, that is a matter worthy of consideration by the House.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member has asked leave to move the Adjournment of the House pursuant to Standing Order No. 9, to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely,
the threat to peace in Laos and the undertaking by Her Majesty's Government to send troops to Laos in support of intervention by S.E.A.T.O.I regret that I cannot accede to the hon. Member's request. I cannot hold the Motion to be within the Standing Order.