BEAVERBROOK NEWSPAPERS (SCOTLAND) (Hansard, 20 March 1974)

Mr. Edward Taylor

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 announcement by Beaverbrook Newspapers of its intention to cease publication of its Scottish newspapers in Glasgow". There can be no doubt that the matter is specific. When I raised the matter with you yesterday, Mr. Speaker, it was on the basis of an application for a merger which had to be put to Her Majesty's Government. However, in the interim we have had the announcement by Beaverbrook Newspapers that it intends to stop publication of its Scottish daily and Sunday newspapers and have Scottish editions printed in Manchester, and to discontinue publication of the Evening Citizen, one of Glasgow's two evening newspapers.

There can be no doubt that the matter is urgent, because as many as 1,800 jobs are involved and it has been indicated that these men could be out of a job within 12 days. In the circumstances, I feel it important and urgent that the House of Commons should be able to consider the implications of the situation, first, for employment in Scotland and, secondly, for the viability of the Scottish Press.

§ Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Taylor) 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 announcement by Beaverbrook Newspapers of its intention to cease publication of its Scottish newspapers in Glasgow". The hon. Gentleman made a similar application yesterday. Owing to a misunderstanding, for which I blame no one, I did not realise that he would be making it, and by inference I invited him to make it again today.

My decision under Standing Order No. 9 is a procedural one—that of whether to disrupt the business already fixed, which is a very important matter for all hon. Members.

1040 I am not allowed to give my reasons for a particular decision but I can state some of the considerations which affect me. They are what has been said in the House; what is known to be going on outside the House—negotiations, for example; what is the urgency of a debate in the House; whether such a debate would help or hinder; what other ways are open to hon. Members to pursue the matter; and whether if these are general issues involved, they would be better discussed with more notice. That is not a complete list of the matters which affect my decision, but only some of them.

With regard to the hon. Gentleman's application, I have read carefully what took place yesterday in the House, reflected upon the matter this morning and listened carefully to what he has said to me today, and I am afraid that my decision is "No".