HC Deb 21 June 1972 vol 839 cc469-71
Mr. Kilfedder

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—

Mr. Lawson

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the fact that we have had an announcement yesterday that 7,500 jobs in the Scottish steel industry—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I have another point of order about that later on. Mr. Kilfedder.

Mr. Kilfedder

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 action of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in abandoning the longstanding British penal practice of treating all convicted prisoners alike and in granting special privileges to a particular group of convicted criminals in Belfast Prison. This matter is specific. We had the announcement on Monday by the Secretary of State that to relieve tension within Belfast Prison special steps should be taken; that is, certain prisoners would be housed in separate accommodation in the prison. Yesterday evening in a television interview a spokesman for the IRA enunciated the special privileges which are to be accorded to this group of prisoners, the majority of whom are convicted IRA men, convicted by a judge and jury of shocking and dastardly crimes resulting in some cases in death or mutilation, but all of them coldly calculated crimes. The spokesman said—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman must not make the kind of speech he would make if his application were granted. He must confine himself to the formal side of his application.

Mr. Kilfedder

I am grateful to you, Mr. Speaker. I was dealing with the specific matters and stating the conditions and the special privileges which are to be accorded to the prisoners. The spokes man said that they would be separated from the criminal type of prisoner. These privileges were that they would be—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I really do want to help the hon. Member in this matter. The only point at issue in an application of this sort is why the debate should have precedence over the other business of the House.

Mr. Kilfedder

May I move to the urgency of this and state why it requires urgent consideration?

The granting of this new status of political prisoner means that those who up to yesterday were aware of the full consequences of a conviction on a serious charge now know that a less exacting punishment awaits them if they claim that their crime was politically motivated. They are to be something special and no longer regarded as ordinary criminals.

What is equally urgent, since there are trials taking place in Northern Ireland at the moment and trials waiting to take place, is that witnesses may feel that they need no longer place themselves in jeopardy by giving evidence and jurors may no longer feel constrained to carry out their duties since a defendant on being sentenced for a criminal offence will be treated as a political prisoner with the real possibility of an amnesty and an early release. It is also urgent because the Ulster Defence Association, which has behaved with restraint, may put up its barricades this weekend in protest.

It is, clearly, important because this is a radical change in our penal practice and establishes a precedent which others may wish to follow. Members of the so-called Angry Brigade will claim the status of political prisoners, and one wonders whether those convicted of the Aldershot murders will be able to claim the same status. We desperately need this debate to prevent the law of this country from being turned into a farce.

Mr. Speaker

I am grateful to the hon. Member for his courtesy in having given me notice of his intention to make this application. I have considered it carefully and have listened to what he has said.

My decision does not really bear on the merits at all; it simply bears on the question of whether I should give the hon. Member's application precedence.

I am not prepared to give the application precedence.

Later—

Rev. Ian Paisley

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In relation to the application made to you by the hon. Member for Down, North (Mr. Kilfedder), have you had a request from the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to make a statement tomorrow to the House on the situation in Northern Ireland? Will the Leader of the House help us on this matter, as there is great concern in Northern Ireland not only on this matter but on others?

Mr. Speaker

That is not a point of order. I have had no such request.