MAIL SERVICES (Hansard, 2 November 1976)

§ Mr. Tebbit

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific, urgent and important matter which should have precedence over other business; namely the interference with the delivery of Her Majesty's mails". I apologise for not giving you notice earlier in the day, Mr. Speaker, but I could not do so because the matter was not public knowledge until the Private Notice Question raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, North (Mr. Gorst).

I submit that this is a very specific matter because it refers to the circumstances surrounding the holding up of mail in pursuit of an industrial dispute. That is how my hon. Friend described the circumstances, and this was confirmed as accurate by the Minister of State for Employment.

It is an important matter because the carriage of mail is a State monopoly, and it is a service which is vital to the continuance of the social, industrial, and commercial life of this country.

It is urgent because this is a great abuse and the longer it is allowed to continue without the House debating it and reaching a conclusion about what should be done, the more difficult it will be to uproot and destroy such abuses.

§ Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the 1218 House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter which he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely the interference with the delivery of Her Majesty's mails". As he knows, under Standing Order No. 9 I am directed to take into account the several factors set out in the Order but to give no reasons for my decision. I do not have to rule on the importance of the question or whether it should be debated, but only whether it should have precedence over all other business.

I have given careful consideration to the representations by the hon. Member, but I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order, and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.