HC Deb 24 July 1978 vol 954 cc1145-7
Mr. Banks

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate that it is customary for notices seeking an Adjournment under Standing Order No. 9 to be referred to you before midday. I felt convinced that such a Standing Order application would have been put to you, but I understand that that has not been the case. I therefore seek your indulgence on this occasion, because a matter of supreme importance has arisen, namely, the prevention of the three nuclear submarines being allowed to leave their dock in Rosyth—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I am sorry, but I cannot allow the hon. Gentleman to continue because I must have notice before 12 o'clock, when the matter is known. It was well known that this matter causes anxiety. I cannot allow the hon. Gentleman to proceed.

Later—

Mr. Onslow

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Following your ruling on the application of my hon. Friend the Member for Harrogate (Mr. Banks), I wonder whether you could help the House. If I am right in supposing that you must refuse any application under Standing Order No. 9 which comes to you after midday, may I ask you how hon. Members are to proceed if we do not know until midday whether you have accepted a Private Notice Question on the subject? If this is so, there seems to be no way in which, after the refusal of a Private Notice Question, hon. Members can raise a matter under Standing Order No. 9.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Woking (Mr. Onslow) has long experience in this House. As he knows, whether a Private Notice Question has been submitted or not is never referred to here. It is a private matter. If the hon. Member for Harrogate (Mr. Banks) had wished to make an application under Standing Order No. 9, he was well able to do it, provided that he had given me notice before 12 o'clock. The same applies to any other right hon. or hon. Member. It is really quite simple. If the hon. Member for Harrogate had sent me a note before 12 o'clock or come into the office and said that he wished to raise the matter, it could have been raised.

Mr. Fell

Further to that point of order. Mr. Speaker. It seems to me that this is an extraordinary situation. Indeed, it refers to an extraordinary occasion. I think that a great many right hon. and hon. Members would have been badgering you to make applications under Standing Order No. 9 had it not been assumed, naturally, that the Prime Minister would be making a statement to the House this afternoon.

Mr. Speaker

I am much obliged to the hon. Member for Yarmouth (Mr. Fell).