NORTHERN IRELAND (Hansard, 27 October 1980)

§ Rev. Ian Paisley
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 failure of Her Majesty's Government to defeat IRA terrorism in Northern Ireland and their capitulation to the H block dirty protesters with a deal which includes the wearing of civilian-type clothing by convicted murderers and gunmen. Against the dark backcloth of almost 90,000 unemployed in Northern Ireland, when the House was in recess the IRA continued its terror campaign, and the other killer gangs were also busy in retaliation. Sixteen persons were done to death. The equivalent in Great Britain, in relation to population, would have been 592. The people of Northern Ireland ask what attitude the House would adopt tonight if 592 people had been murdered in Great Britain during the recess.
Of the 16 people killed, nine were murdered through IRA activity. The other killings have not been claimed by any group, although on the face of it they bear the hallmarks of retaliation killings.
One of the most barbarous murders was the killing of a Protestant aged 87, Mr. William Younger, and his daughter Lettie. She was stabbed through the neck with a garden fork and then shot dead.
The campaign of genocide against the Protestants continues in Fermanagh and County Armagh. The recent decision in a test case in the courts of the Irish Republic has made that country an even safer haven for the IRA murderers. It is no wonder that there are now 50 unsolved murders of Protestants in County Fermanagh. Those who have done these dastardly deeds are safe across the border in the Irish Republic. Yet the Government have not proceeded to put pressure on Dublin to have a proper extradition treaty with the South.
Now a great victory has been gained by the IRA in the capitulation to at least one of its demands. Convicted murderers and gunmen—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentlemen must not make the speech that he 62 would make if I granted his application, but he is entitled to outline the reasons why he thinks the application should be made.

§ Rev. Ian Paisley
I am trying to do that, Mr. Speaker. I have called your attention to the latter part of the subject: which includes the wearing of civilian-type clothing by convicted murderers and gunmen". Convicted murderers and gunmen are to be given special status once again. The IRA believes that this Government, having capitulated on this issue, would be prepared to give in to other demands, and it sees an amnesty right ahead.
What is even more serious is the fact that the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland no longer have any faith that this Government have the will to win the war against the IRA. They feel that they have been let down. They are convinced that they are betrayed, and they feel that the Government should have backed the law-abiding citizens and safeguarded their right to live, rather than give in to those who are carrying out these dastardly deeds.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Gentleman gave me notice before 12 o'clock 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 believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the failure of Her Majesty's Government to defeat IRA terrorism in Northern Ireland and their capitulation to the H block dirty protesters with a deal which includes the wearing of civilian-type clothing by convicted murderers and gunmen. The House will realise that the hon. Gentleman has brought to our notice a very serious matter. 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.
I have listened carefully to the hon. Gentleman, but I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order, and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.
The hon. Member for Belfast, West (Mr. Fitt) also gave me notice before 12 o'clock that he would seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House.
63 His application differs in so far as it refers to the rapidly deteriorating economic situation".

§ Mr. Fitt
I assure you at the outset, Mr. Speaker, that there has been no collusion between me and the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley).
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 highly dangerous and rapidly deteriorating economic and security situation in Northern Ireland since the beginning of the Summer Recess. Shortly before the House went into recess. the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland used the device of a written reply to a question by the hon. Member for Knutsford (Mr. Bruce-Gardyne) to announce what he euphemistically called a reallocation of resources in Northern Ireland. At the first glimpse it was seen that £50 million was to be withdrawn from essential services in Northern Ireland and used in other ways. Since then £10 million has been taken away from education, £10 million from health and social services, £26 million from environment and £12 million from housing.
The cuts, and the way in which they were made, have resulted in complete disaster in every facet of life in Northern Ireland. We have had no opportunity to debate the issue.
On 7 August, the day before the House went into recess, I pleaded with the Leader of the House to provide an opportunity for a debate. I said that if he could not arrange a debate at that late stage he should organise the business so that we could have a debate on Northern Ireland in the first week after we returned from the recess—that is, this week. The business that the Leader of the House has announced this afternoon makes no provision for a debate on Northern Ireland.
Because of the action taken on 6 August there has been a dramatic rise in unemployment, in the number of redundancies and the number of people on short time. It has affected all the social 64 services. No other part of the United Kingdom would have been treated in that way.
Security has been a grave issue in the last 10 weeks. Many brutal and vicious murders have taken place. They have affected both sides of the community. Young children have been burnt in their beds by petrol bombs in sectarian attacks. Men, women and children, both Catholic and Protestant, have been murdered in the most brutal and callous circumstances.
Only today was it announced that a hunger strike was to take place in the Maze prison. Potentially this is one of the most dangerous and disastrous issues with which the House will be faced in the coming weeks. Hon. Members should have an opportunity urgently to express their will on the hunger strike, whether they are for or against it. Those who are taking part in the hunger strike must be made aware at the earliest opportunity of the consequences of their actions. For those important reasons I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to approve my application.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Member for Belfast, West (Mr. Fitt) gave me notice before 12 o'clock 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 believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the highly dangerous and rapidly deteriorating economic and security situation in Northern Ireland since the beginning of the Summer Recess. I listened with anxious care to the hon. Gentleman, as I did to the hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley), who made the previous application. The hon. Member for Belfast, West has brought grievous matters to our notice. However, as he 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.
I listened very carefully to the hon. Member. but I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.