§ Rev. Ian Paisley (Antrim, North)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 serious worsening of the security situation in Northern Ireland, encouraged by the release from prison of Dolores Price—the convicted IRA bomber—the visit of the three Eire Members of Parliament to the Maze prison and their subsequent vicious propaganda campaign, the appearance on the streets of 522 Ireland of armed IRA men using their weapons, the threat from the IRA to carry out the worst campaign of murder that it has ever engaged in and the total failure of the Government to take proper steps to deal with the emergency, which has seen two more Protestants murdered by the IRA during the Easter Recess.I regret that the only opportunity that Members of Parliament who represent Northern Ireland constituencies have to highlight the seriousness of what is happening in Northern Ireland is that afforded by Standing Order No. 9. In view of the serious situation in Northern Ireland and the escalatioion of violence, I should have thought that the Government would make a statement and that there would be opportunity for discussion in the House.I am not at liberty to develop my arguments today, but under Standing Orders I am at liberty to reinforce my remarks. A serious situation has arisen. A road in Northern Ireland has been blocked by armed IRA men, who mounted a machine gun on the hedgerow and held up every motor vehicle in that area. In my constituency at Toomebridge, the main road to Londonderry has been blocked, and even Royal Ulster Constabulary vehicles have been diverted from the area. When the police have to divert their vehicles from a public road in the United Kingdom because of terrorist activity it is time the issue was debated in the e House.
The Secretary of State told us that the first Price sister, who had also been convicted of IRA bombing in this very city, would have been dead within a few days if she had not been released. Nevertheless, my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) wrote to the Secretary of State and informed him of her Republican activities in relation to the IRA. If prisoners are released only to be sent back to agitate in the IRA, it must be time to call a halt.
Two Protestant men who served their Queen and country in the Ulster Defence Regiment have been brutally murdered and their loved ones have been left to weep. We hear a lot of talk about choice. Neither those men nor their families had any choice. It is time that a message was sent out loud and clear from the House.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member for Antrim, North (Rev. Ian Paisley) gave me notice this morning, before 12 o'clock, that he would seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 in order to discuss a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the serious worsening of the security situation in Northern Ireland".If the hon. Gentleman does not mind, I shall not read out the whole of the statement that he made and that he submitted in writing to me. Hon. Members will have been deeply disturbed by the hon. Gentleman's statement. As the House knows, however important a matter may be I do not decide whether it should be debated. I decide merely whether it should be debated tonight, as a matter of emergency, or the next day.The House has instructed me to give no reason for my decision. I listened, as the House did, with deep concern to what the hon. Gentleman said about Northern Ireland. However, 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.