§ Mr. WilkinsonI 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 invocation by India of the ludo-Soviet Defence Pact, her recognition of Bangla Desh, the large-scale invasion by Indian Regular forces into another Commonwealth country with which the United Kingdom is allied in S.E.A.T.O. and C.E.N.T.O. and the extension of the conflict to the Indo-Pakistan border in the west.The reasons are as follows. I wholeheartedly support the mediation and conciliation advocated by the Foreign Secretary, but there are arguments that must be put before the House. The protagonists in this tragic conflict are Commonwealth members and recipients, at least until recently in the case of Pakistan, of large amounts of British commodity and project aid, which is the responsibility of this House.Second, this House has not had the opportunity to debate the Indo-Soviet Defence Pact, whose implications are only now being fully realised. Third, this House must debate the implications of 958 the admission of the Peoples Republic of China into the United Nations which could vitally affect the resolution of this conflict. Fourth, the attitude of the United States, our closest ally, appears on the point of diverging from our own, which is something which the House would like to debate. Fifth, five British journalists have been imprisoned in India, in Calcutta, I believe. Sixth, allied shipping, namely that of the United States and Greece have been harassed. Seventh, the future right of self-determination of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir and the veto of the Soviet Union in the United Nations on previous occasions is something which this House would like to debate and which affects this issue.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member has, as he has every right to do, asked leave to move the Adjournment of the House to discuss a specific and important matter which he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the invocation by India of the Indo-Soviet Defence Pact, her recognition of Bangla Desh, the large-scale invasion by Indian Regular forces into another Commonwealth country with which the United Kingdom is allied in S.E.A.T.O. and C.E.N.T.O. and the extension of the conflict to the Indo-Pakistan border in the west.Without doubt, these are very important matters to which the House has already paid some attention today. My decision is a procedural one as to whether it is right to have a debate under Standing Order No. 9. I have considered the matter and I cannot grant the application.