HC Deb 23 March 1971 vol 814 cc251-2
The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. William Whitelaw)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I should like to make a short business statement.

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said yesterday that it would be appropriate for the House to debate Northern Ireland at a suitable time and he invited me to enter discussions through the usual channels about it. Those discussions led to the conclusion that the most appropriate and convenient time would be following the four-day debate on the Budget statement. I therefore wish to inform the House that on Tuesday, 6th April, there will be a debate on Northern Ireland arising on the Motion for the Adjournment.

Mr. Harold Wilson

The House will be grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for taking the first opportunity to report to it the results of the discussions through the usual channels, which were unusually difficult but not disagreed.

Will the right hon. Gentleman confirm that we would of course have liked an earlier debate, as he and perhaps the House would have done, but that with the incidence of the Budget timetable, which none of us wants to disrupt unless something really serious were to occur, it was thought desirable not to have an immediate debate before the dust has settled in Belfast and the policy of the new Government has become clearer than it possibly can become in the course of the next two or three days? Although this means a long wait for many hon. Members, I think it is probably right to wait until that date.

Mr. Whitelaw

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman. I agree with the point of view he has expressed. We, too, would have liked an earlier debate—next week if that had been possible—but, as he has said, it would have been extremely difficult. I hope the House will feel that the result is the best that can be achieved in the circumstances.

Captain Orr

Is my right hon. Friend aware that we, too, would have preferred a somewhat earlier debate—[HON. MEMBERS: "Who are we?"]—but we appreciate the difficulties—[An HON. MEMBER: "Paper tigers."]—and accept the fact that 6th April is the best date?

Mr. Whitelaw

I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for what he has said.