POLISH SHIPBUILDING ORDERS (Hansard, 7 December 1977)

§ Mr. Ridley

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 disclosure that the Polish ships deal will cost the taxpayer £85 million, and the need for an immediate statement by Ministers on the financial arrangements. I submit that this has become a specific matter because of the disclosures in the newspapers this morning. It is extremely 1402 important, partly because of the very large quantity of money which appears to be involved, and because of the extremely disadvantageous nature of the contract that that was fixed up. It makes the recent scandal over the Crown Agents seem like a vicarage tea-party.

The matter is urgent because speculation is rife about the Government's action in relation to this deal. We must have the facts. The facts were promised in another place some months ago, but the Government are refusing to disclose them, despite all their protestations about open government.

This is an intolerable situation because it leaves the House of Commons out of the control of its own financial arrangements for matters such as this. It leaves the Government unaccountable for what they have done in this shameful transaction. It threatens the jobs of thousands of British seamen who will be forced to go out of business if the ships are ever built.

The matter is of such scandalous and serious proportions that the Government must be brought to book. I request you, Mr. Speaker, to grant an early opportunity to debate this matter and for the Government to answer to the House about what they have done.

§ Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (Mr. Ridley) gave me notice this morning before 12 o'clock that he would seek 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 disclosure that the Polish ships deal will cost the taxpayer £85 million, and the need for an immediate statement by Ministers on the financial arrangements. The House knows that I do not have to decide on the importance of an issue. I am limited to the narrow question whether the business should take precedence over that set down for today or tomorrow.

I have taken into account everything that the hon. Member has said, but I have to rule that the hon. Member's submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order, and, therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.