LIBYA (ARMS SUPPLIES) (Hansard, 16 June 1969)

§ Mr. Paget
I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the failure of the Foreign Secretary to make a statement to the House on Her Majesty's Government's decision to supply to Libya unconditionally tanks which Her Majesty's Government have refused to supply to Israel. Last Wednesday, I sought to raise the substantive question. The Leader of the House then stated that he would ask the Foreign Secretary to make a statement. On the following day, the right hon. Member for Stafford and Stone (Mr. Hugh Fraser) raised the additional point that the tanks were to be supplied unconditionally, so that they could be passed on to Egypt or Nigeria or Biafra. The Leader of the House said that the Foreign Secretary would be answering Questions today and would then take the opportunity to make a statement. Neither of these things has happened.
It has been said that it is not customary to make detailed statements about the sale of arms. Nobody has asked for one. What we have asked for is a statement on the principle of supplying arms to one of two parties at war when, under the four-Power pact, we are in the position 49 of arbitrator between the two Powers which are at war. When the question of supplying arms to South Africa arose, the principle of whether arms should be supplied was discussed in detail by the House and was dealt with in detail by the Government. A statement is refused now.
This is treating the House with contempt. You, Mr. Speaker, are the protector of the House's privileges against the Government. The only way in which we can compel respect is to take priority from the Government on the question of time. You, Sir, can rule that that should happen. If you have any doubt about the will of the House, if it should be a question of Members rising in their places, I doubt whether one Member, other than on the Government Front Bench, will not rise.

§ Mr. Mayhew
Nonsense.

§ Mr. Paget
This is something which the House wants and demands. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, as the spokesman of the House when its privileges are in issue, to grant this application.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Northampton (Mr. Paget) was courteous enough to inform me this morning that he might seek to make an application under Standing Order No. 9 if he were not satisfied with the Government's reply.
The hon. and learned Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely, the failure of the Foreign Secretary to make a statement to the House on Her Majesty's Government's decision to supply to Libya unconditionally tanks which Her Majesty's Government have refused to supply to Israel". 50 As the House knows, Mr. Speaker is instructed to give no reasons for his decision on applications under Standing Order No. 9 and he must not be taken to endorse any of the arguments urged in support of a Standing Order No. 9 application. But I am satisfied that it would be proper to discuss the matter raised by the hon. and learned Gentleman under Standing Order No. 9. Has the hon. and learned Gentleman the leave of the House?

§ Mr. Speaker
The Motion for the Adjournment will stand over until the commencement of public business tomorrow, when a debate on the matter will take place for three hours under Standing Order No. 9.