HC Deb 21 January 1971 vol 809 cc1299-302

Motion made, and Question proposed: That this day Business other than the Business of Supply may be taken before Ten o'clock and, in the case of the Question which under the provisions of paragraphs (6) and (9) of Standing Order No. 18 (Business of Supply) Mr. Speaker is directed to put forthwith at Ten o'clock, he shall this day put such Question forthwith as soon as the House has entered upon the Business of Supply.—[Mr. Goodhew.]

4.40 p.m.

Mr. James Wellbeloved (Erith and Crayford)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is this Motion debatable or must it be put formally? May I ask whether any of the Motions on the Order Paper before the Motion on the Adjournment are debatable?

Mr. Speaker

This Motion is debatable.

Mr. Wellbeloved

If that is the case, I should like to debate it, because I believe that it would he wrong for the House to facilitate the Government in the passage of any of their business in view of the situation which has now developed of a deliberate attempt by the Government to suppress the rights of this House to debate its business and to maintain the principle of free speech in Parliament.

The proposal by the Government to impose a timetable on the Industrial Relations Bill is of such serious consequence that I believe it essential that this Motion be debated. The Motion before the House is a Motion to facilitate the passage of the Government's business for today. I hope that we will be in order, in debating it, in going a little wider and explaining to you and to the House the reason why we feel that the Government should not be facilitated in this manner.

Mr. Speaker

Perhaps I can help the hon. Gentleman. Debate on a Motion of this sort is very narrow and must be directed solely to today's business.

Mr. Wellbeloved

I will attempt to direct my remarks to today's business, which includes, I submit, the statement made by the Leader of the House.

Mr. Speaker

I will clarify what I have said. The debate must be related to the business still to come before the House.

Mr. Wellbeloved

I will attempt to relate my remarks to the business that is still to come before the House. One of the Motions yet to come before the House is the Motion for the Adjournment, and while I appreciate that many right hon. and hon. Members wish to debate the Common Market on that Motion, I do not believe that it would be right for us to agree to this Motion in order to facilitate the Government's business so that the Motion for the Adjournment may be reached.

Mr. Arthur Lewis (West Ham, North)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Is my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Wellbeloved) not wrong and are you not perhaps in the position, unintentionally, of also being wrong in this case? Surely, on the Motion for the Adjournment, any matter except legislation can be discussed, so that when we reach the Motion for the Adjournment any hon. Member can raise the statement of the Leader of the House and mention the Industrial Relations Bill, but without its legislative effects? Can we not discuss anything on the Motion for the Adjournment, whether it be to do with the Common Market or not? I would not want it to be thought that, inadvertently, you were supporting the point which my hon. Friend is putting.

Mr. Speaker

I thank the hon. Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis) for the way in which he put his point of order. I hope that I did not, advertently or inadvertently, fall into error. Within limits, the hon. Gentleman is right. The debate on the Adjournment Motion is a wide debate.

Mr. Wellbeloved

I return to the Motion on the business of Supply. I emphasise to my hon. Friend the Member for West Ham, North (Mr. Arthur Lewis), who wants a general debate on the Adjournment, that many of us believe that the suppression of free speech proposed by the Government is of such fundamental importance—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The question of suppression of free speech is not relevant to this Motion. It is a Motion about today's business—as to whether we should conduct certain business after certain hours and whether we should proceed with the business of Supply forthwith and then get on to the debate on the Common Market.

Mr. Wellbeloved

It is to that point that I want to direct my remarks. If the Government are asking the House, by this Motion, to facilitate the discharge of their business after 10 o'clock, in view of their new proposal to suppress free speech they cannot expect hon. Members on this side of the House concerned with the defence of the liberties of the people of the realm to facilitate them in such matters. I hope that the trend of my remarks will be in order.

If we are to be subjected to this denial of fundamental freedom, if the Government are going, for the first time, I understand, in the history of guillotine Motions, to impose a limit on debates on fundamental matters, such as establishing new courts which will deal with vital aspects of our industrial relations and our freedom, I believe that it is completely beyond any possibility that we can co-operate in any way with the Government on that or any other Measures they present to the House.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I must call the hon. Gentleman to order. He is not entitled to enter into any general observations of any kind in debating this Motion.

Mr. Wellbeloved

I take it that I am in order in opposing the Motion, which is to facilitate the business of the Government.

Mr. Speaker

That is the dangerous nature of the argument in which the hon. Gentleman is engaging. In fact, the Motion is not to facilitate the business of the Government. It deals with today's business in order to arrange for a debate on the Common Market to take place.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)

Perhaps I can make the situation clear. I think that the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Wellbeloved) is being fair, but in fact the Opposition themselves have decided to devote this Supply Day to the Common Market debate, and this Motion is to facilitate the business on which the Opposition have their rights on a Supply Day.

Mr. Wellbeloved

I take it that this Motion does facilitate the other Motions on the Order Paper which will come after the Adjournment debate on the Common Market, such as the Motions on the Guardianship of Minors Bill and Standing Order No. 18. Is that not the case? I would still press my point unless you ask me to resume my seat, Mr. Speaker, because we are dealing with some vital constitutional matters. The Leader of the House has frequently told us that he takes very seriously his responsibilities to all hon. Members. He has today betrayed that pledge.

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman must not pursue that line of argument. It must be limited to the question as to why the Opposition wish that the conduct of today's business should not be facilitated.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered, That this day Business other than the Business of Supply may be taken before Ten o'clock and, in the case of the Question which under the provisions of paragraphs (6) and (9) of Standing Order No. 18 (Business of Supply) Mr. Speaker is directed to put forthwith at Ten o'clock, he shall this day put such Question forthwith as soon as the House has entered upon the Business of Supply.