§ Q11. Mr. Hamlingasked the Prime Minister what steps will be taken to prevent the oil tanker "British Security", owned by the British Petroleum Company, from discharging its cargo in a Mozambique port.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer my hon. Friend to the Answer I gave on 7th December to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Michael Foot).
§ Mr. HamlingIs my right hon. Friend aware that, while the Government's policy may seem logical, this logic contradicts the Labour Government's traditional support of the United Nations?
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir, it does not. I agree that there are considerations of logic and of effectiveness in all these questions and, unlike the talk of some hon. Members, they have to be considered against a kind of four-dimensional problem affecting the whole world. As far as the United Nations position is concerned, we have said that we would study oil sanctions and if they could be made effective we would carry them out. To go off at half-cock and interfere with an individual ship when other ships are going in as well would be a moral demonstration but it certainly would not be effective.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonAs the possibility of hardship to Zambia has been mentioned, is not the way of avoiding hardship to Zambia to work for an honourable settlement with Rhodesia?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir, that is exactly what we have been trying to do, both before and since the illegal declaration, but our conception of an honourable settlement is rather different from the one which the hon. Gentleman has in mind.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We cannot debate Rhodesia now. Mr. Michael Foot.
§ Mr. Michael FootCan my right hon. Friend say what progress has been made towards the achievement of the oil embargo for which the British Government voted? Can he say whether there is a reply now to the question which we asked in a debate on Friday, to which there was no answer then, on what were the views of Commonwealth countries on whether we should stop this ship delivering oil?
§ The Prime MinisterI have nothing to report a t this stage. As soon as I have, I will let my hon. Friend know. The first step is to make sure that the oil embargo is not frustrated or defeated. Apart from the problem of South Africa, which is a special one involving special considerations by the United Nations, there are other countries prominent in the oil trade—I do not mean producing countries but those with oil companies and shipping—and I shall certainly need more time before I say what the position is there. I shall certainly discuss this question in the United Nations next week.
§ Mr. HeathAs the Prime Minister has emphasised that he wishes to work for an honourable settlement and he has referred to the debate last Tuesday evening, may I ask whether he is aware of the contradiction between what was said by the Commonwealth Secretary in this House and the Lord Chancellor in another place?
§ Mr. William HamiltonOn a point of order. This is the second occasion in the last fortnight when I have had to rise on a point of order when the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition has been asking a question wholly unrelated to the Question on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. SpeakerI am grateful to the hon. Member and he is plumb right this time. I hope that even Front Benchers will not widen supplementary questions beyond the basic issue of the Question. This Question was about oil.
§ The Prime MinisterOn a point of order. Since the question has now been put by the right hon. Gentleman the 606 Leader of the Opposition—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Half the House seems to have a strange conception of fair play. If the question has been put it must be answered.
§ The Prime MinisterOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am being addressed by the Prime Minister on a point of order.
§ The Prime MinisterThe only point I was trying to make—[Interruption.] The right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition had not finished putting his question so if it were not to be answered I would not be at fault. If you, Mr. Speaker, have ruled the Question out of order I am in a difficult position, however, for I am only too anxious to answer. Indeed, I have been waiting all morning for news of the Private Notice Question that we were promised. I am anxious to answer but we are in your hands as to whether the right hon. Gentleman can finish putting the question or whether you rule it out of order, in which case we shall have to seek other means of answering.
§ Mr. SpeakerI think that the wisest course is to drop it entirely and get on with the next Question.
§ The Prime MinisterFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Since the right hon. Gentleman is anxious to have this question answered, and the Press is full of stories today about how the Opposition intend to press us mercilessly on this—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am being addressed by the Prime Minister on a point of order. Perhaps I may make a general observation. We cannot have 300 Speakers. We must have only one to deal with points of order. The Prime Minister is addressing me on a point of order. I have a slight suspicion that it is a point of political argument as well.
§ The Prime MinisterOf course the whole House accepts your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, that we cannot have this question as a supplementary to a Question about oil, but since there is such general 607 interest I beg to give notice that I shall answer the Leader of the Opposition in a statement, since there has been no Private Notice Question. I will do so at the earliest opportunity—namely, tomorrow morning. It was only because we did not get a Private Notice Question today that I did not answer it this afternoon.
§ Mr. SpeakerI had an uneasy feeling that the Prime Minister was threatening to give notice that he would raise the matter on the Adjournment—[Laughter.]—Mr. Paget.
§ Mr. Grimond rose——
§ Mr. Cooper rose——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I have called the hon. and learned Member for Northampton (Mr. Paget) on a point of order.
§ Mr. PagetOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is not the first opportunity now? Question Time has concluded. Cannot the Prime Minister, on notice to you, now make a statement?
§ Mr. SpeakerThat is not a point of order but a point of judgment. I think that the Prime Minister is able to exercise his own judgment.
§ Mr. CooperOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Was not the Prime Minister's scene just now a gross abuse of the privilege of the House?
§ Mr. SpeakerHon. Members must know that, if any right hon. Gentleman's behaviour had been an abuse of the privileges of the House, the Speaker would have called him to order.
§ Mr. GrimondFor our guidance, Mr. Speaker, could you make it clear quite what the upshot of all this has been? Do I understand that Ministers are entitled to give notice, with regard to Questions either not asked or ruled out of order, that they intend to answer at some future date?
§ Mr. SpeakerI cannot unravel more than half the subtleties of that question. I would only say that the Government and the Prime Minister have the right to give notice that they will lay information before the House. This is quite 608 ordinary. Nothing out of order has happened at the moment.
§ Mr. MolloyOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The original Question was about oil. Since the manoeuvres of the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition can only be described as oleaginous, could not you ask the Prime Minister to answer an oleaginous Question?
§ Mr. SpeakerI hope that young and fairly inexperienced hon. Members will not trepass too hastily into the tricky fields of points of order. They are highly dangerous. I might add that witticisms may not be dangerous but they have to be successful to succeed.