§ Mr. NewensOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I seek your guidance on a matter of some importance to the House. It is the question of the way in which successive Ministers in various Governments since 1965 have failed to make available for hon. Members information relating to an important international agreement on Diego Garcia.
Information which one would have thought would have been available in the House was recently made available to the Congress of the United States; namely, information relating to the military installations which were being built on the island of Diego Garcia and also information relating to depopulation on the island. Numerous Questions have been tabled on this issue over the years.
I wish to ask, first, whether Ministers have any obligation to bring matters of this sort before the House. Secondly, if as a result of Questions that information is not elicited, what ways exist of Members seeking to get it? It can be said that it is likely to bring the House into disrepute if information relating to a British territory is made available to members of Congress which is not made available in the House.
Therefore, I should like to ask you, first, Mr. Speaker, whether Ministers have any obligation to bring matters of this sort before the House; secondly, whether you will indicate to hon. Members the ways which are open to them to obtain information of this sort on international agreements; and, thirdly, whether you will indicate any way in which you feel it would be appropriate for hon. Members to pursue the information about Diego Garcia.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe first part of the hon. Member's question seems to me to be very much like a business question as to how the Government intend to make certain information available. It is not a matter for the Chair, but the Lord President of the Council has heard the hon. Member's point of order and no doubt will pay due regard to it.
My advice upon the other matter will rather depend on how the Government make the information available. if they make it available. Therefore, at this 863 stage, the matter is for me hypothetical. When it becomes more definite I will give the hon. Gentleman such guidance as I can.
§ Later—
§ Mr. Frank AllaunMr. Speaker, I wish to raise another point of order on the issue to which my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Newens) referred, which is one of great importance because it could be a matter of peace or war. You said to my hon. Friend that it was not a question for you to decide and indicated that it was either a business question or a question for the Minister. I have secured from the House of Commons Library a complete record of every reference by Ministers in both Governments to this issue, and it is quite clear that we have been misled. You suggested, Mr. Speaker, that it was a question for the Minister to answer. May I therefore, through you, ask the Leader of the House whether he will indicate that there will be a statement on this issue this week?
§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Edward Short)I have listened very carefully to what both of my hon. Friends have said. I will certainly convey their remarks to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and discuss the matter with him. Perhaps I should mention that this matter could be raised again on Thursday in business questions.