HC Deb 08 December 1965 vol 722 cc426-7
Mr. Hector Hughes

I ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, to call attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the offer by the Vietcong Government of a Christmas truce to the United States Government, which offer contains the seeds of a possible end to the war in Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes) asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 on a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the offer by the Vietcong Government of a Christmas truce to the United States Government, which offer contains a possible end to the war in Vietnam. I am grateful to the hon. and learned Member for privately giving me advance notice of his intention to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House to discuss this matter today. As I reminded the House yesterday, there are precedents which bind the Chair in this proceeding, and from those I cannot depart unless the House directs me to do so.

I am afraid that the present application does not fall within the rule—because it does not involve the administrative responsibility of Her Majesty's Government. Examples of this will be found in Erskine May at page 368. It concerns a matter for which a foreign Government is immediately responsible. I am afraid, therefore, that in these circumstances Standing Order 9 cannot be applied.