§ Mr. James LamondOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I should like to ask your advice. A matter has arisen on which I have been asked to give assistance. Normally one would pursue it by way of an application under Standing Order No. 9 because of its urgency, but this matter is of such great urgency that, unless something is done about it today, there will be no point in raising it on Monday.
The matter concerns a conference that has been organised by a number of hon. Members, trade unionists and myself for this weekend. Among the speakers, who include the president of the TUC and Members of the House, was to be Mr. Romesh Chandra, an Indian, the president of the World Peace Council, who came to this country last night to attend the meeting. I understand that he has been detained and prevented from entering this country on the direct instructions of the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Unless Mr. Romesh Chandra is allowed to enter this country, and unless I am able to raise the matter in this way and get some action taken, there will be no point in raising it on Monday, because the conference will be over. Therefore, could you advise me on the best way to tackle this matter?
§ Mr. SpeakerI allowed the hon. Gentleman to make his point of order, but I am afraid that I can do nothing to enable him to pursue the matter. As he knows, applications under Standing Order No. 9 are not permissible on a Friday. I know what I, as a Back-Bench Member in the old days, would have done. However, the hon. Gentleman obviously knows how to pursue the matter.