HC Deb 10 November 1976 vol 919 cc412-3
Mr. Cyril Smith

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to make an application under Standing Order No. 9. 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 which should have urgent consideration; namely The lack of vaccine supply in Rochdale and the national implications of such lack of supply. This matter has come to my notice only in the last 30 minutes.

The House will be aware that there has been an outbreak of polio in my constituency and it threatens to spread to one or two other parts of the country, particularly parts of Wales. I now learn from the medical officer of health, as a result of a telephone call this afternoon, that he is unable to vaccinate schoolchildren in Rochdale because he cannot obtain sufficient quantities of the vaccine required. I submit, therefore, that as lives are at stake this matter should have urgent consideration and should be sufficiently important to warrant the attention of the House at this time.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member seeks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter which he thinks should have urgent consideration; namely, The lack of vaccine supply in Rochdale and the national implications of such lack of supply. As the House 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. All I have to decide is whether the question must take precedence over all other business. It is not the importance of the matter that I am deciding.

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