HC Deb 16 June 1976 vol 913 cc542-5
Mr. Canavan

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 industrial dispute between Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council and certain of its manual workers. I submit that this is an important matter on several grounds. It is important, first, to the workers and their families, many of whom are my constituents, who are being asked by the district council to accept a wage cut of up to £6 per week. Not surprisingly, the workers are resisting this proposal, and the strike is now in its fifth week.

It is important, too, because of the potential health hazard to the whole community due to the accumulation of refuse in the streets and other public places.

I submit that it is also important because of the highly irresponsible and incompetent behaviour of the SNP-controlled council. It is not only failing in its duty to the community, but it is trying to pass the buck to the Government by claiming that the Government have not given it enough money to pay its workers. The provost of the council has repeatedly made false statements and even denied that the district council has received from the Government an increase of over £127,000 in rate support grant for the current financial year compared with last year—

Mr. Speaker

Order. A Standing Order No. 9 application is the opportunity not for a speech on political arguments, but to advance the hon. Gentleman's case.

Mr. Canavan

Paragraph (4) of Standing Order No. 9 states: In determining whether a matter is proper to be discussed"—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman is not free to call into question the ruling that I have just made—at any rate, not in that fashion.

Mr. Canavan

I am not calling your ruling into question, Mr. Speaker. I am on another point. Paragraph (4) continues: Mr. Speaker shall have regard to the extent to which it concerns the administrative responsibilities of Ministers of the Crown or could come within the scope of ministerial action. I wish to inform you, Mr. Speaker, that the district has already been visited by Government inspectors. Although this is primarily a local authority matter and the local authority must shoulder the blame, there is nevertheless a certain amount of scope for ministerial action.

Government health inspectors have already visited the place. After an emergency council meeting the other day, the Secretary of State for Scotland was asked to intervene. There is also the possibility of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service coming in. It comes in in some way under the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Employment.

Lastly, this matter requires urgent consideration as the strike is in its fifth week and the situation is deteriorating due to the provocative action of the council, which has recently been trying to break the strike by bringing in scab labour from other places. This has inflamed the situation and made it of urgent proportions.

The health hazard also requires urgent action. The other day a seven-year-old boy was bitten by a rat near one of the emergency rubbish dumps. It is significant, however, that the boy's mother said that the strikers were right to hold out against a reduction in their wages.

It is obvious that the council has lost control of the situation. If the SNP councillors were honourable people, they would resign. They have abandoned their duty to their own workers and to the whole community. The whole situation is typical of the social and industrial anarchy which would be caused by SNP rule in Scotland.

I submit that Parliament should give urgent consideration to this important matter to try to get a just settlement for the benefit of the workers and the whole community.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely, the industrial dispute between Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council and certain of its manual workers. As the House knows, under Standing Order No. 9 I am directed to take account of the several factors set out in the Standing Order but to give no reason for my decision.

I have given careful consideration to all the representations that have been made, but I have to rule that the hon. Gentleman's submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order and, therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.