§ Mr. Michael FootI 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 need for immediate British diplomatic action, including strong protests, against the latest military activities of United States forces in Cambodia and North Vietnam, to prevent an extension of the war in Indo-China and the destruction of all hope of a political settlement.I submit that the proposition I have put to the House falls well within the Standing Order. Nobody can doubt the scale of the crisis of the last few days, which has been intensified both by the invasion of Cambodia and by the reopening of the bombing attacks on North Vietnam. The response to these events, in all parts of the world, whatever may be the view taken of them, indicates the supreme importance of the subject.Indeed, the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee has asked for a meeting with the President of the United States in circumstances unknown since 1917, and, therefore, I do not think that anybody can possibly doubt the gravity of the crisis with which the world is faced.
Secondly, I believe that Her Majesty's Government have special responsibilities, to which I have referred specifically in my Motion. They have responsibilities because of their co-chairmanship of the Geneva Conference. There are also responsibilities of various other Governments who have given their views on these matters. The Governments of France, West Germany and of many other countries have expressed in the strongest terms their opposition to the action which the United States Government took, and it is the desire of many of us that our Government should express our opposition in similar strong terms.
Finally, I wish to emphasise the urgency of the matter. Clearly, if action is to be taken either by the United Nations or by anyone else, which can change things, it should be taken at once.
§ Mr. SandysFurther to that point of order—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The submission that has been made by the hon. Gentleman is between him and the Chair.
The hon. Gentleman the Member for Ebbw Vale (Mr. Michael Foot) was courteous enough to inform me this morning, and indeed the House last Friday, that he might seek to ask for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 this afternoon.
The hon. Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the need for immediate British diplomatic action, including strong protests against the latest military activities of United States forces in Cambodia and North Vietnam, to prevent an extension of the war in Indo-China and the destruction of all hope of a political settlement ".I am satisfied that the matter raised by the hon. Gentleman is proper to be discussed under Standing Order No. 9. Does the hon. Gentleman have the leave of the House?The leave of the House having been given—
§ Mr. SpeakerThe Motion for the Adjournment of the House will now stand over until the commencement of public business tomorrow, when a debate on the matter will take place for three hours.
This is as provided for under the terms of the revised Standing Order No. 9 as agreed to by the House on 14th November, 1967.
The Motion stood over under Standing Order No. 9 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) until the commencement of public business Tomorrow.