§ Mr. William HamiltonI 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 decision of Her Majesty's Government to spend £5 billion on a Trident nuclear missile.The matter is undoubtedly specific in the sense that the Government have definitely made the decision and have specifically said that the cost will be £5 billion spread over five years—not £4.9 billion, not £51 billion, but £5 billion exactly. It will probably be twice that figure before we get the thing. In that sense, Mr. Speaker, you might argue that it is not specific.556 The matter is certainly important. Its importance cannot be exaggerated. At a time when the Government are actively engaged in slashing expenditure on all the social services—on housing, health, education, school meals and home helps—when they are set to rob the old-age pensioners this coming November of about £100 million by deferring the payment of their pensions increase for a fortnight, when council house building is to be virtually drawn to a halt, and when total national output is on the slide, it is the height of folly and irresponsibility for the Government to commit themselves unequivocally, irrevocably and come what may to this extravagant nonsense. The outcome of a referendum would support the views that we are advancing.
The House and the electorate have been kept in the dark about these matters. The Tory Party's claim that it believes in open government is shown by this exercise to be the nonsense that it is.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman must not make the speech that he would make if I granted his application. He must address himself to the three issues that are set out in the order.
§ Mr. HamiltonI am about to conclude, Mr. Speaker. I have established the importance of the subject and the sense of urgency. The issue has never been debated on a full day in the House in Government time or in Opposition time. The decision was made without the knowledge or consent of some members of the Cabinet. It is almost the most important subject that the House can debate this century.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member for Fife, Central (Mr. Hamilton) gave me notice before noon today that he would seek 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 decision of Her Majesty's Government to spend £5 billion on a Trident nuclear missile.I listened with care and concern to the hon. Gentleman's argument. As he knows and as the House knows, I have to take into account all the factors set out in the order. I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the 557 provisions of the Standing Order and, therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.