HC Deb 13 July 1981 vol 8 c801
Mr. Gavin Strang (Edinburgh, East)

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 decision of the Secretary of State for Scotland to seek authority to make a restrospective cut of £47 million in the rate support grant payable to the Lothian regional council in the current financial year.

The matter relates specifically to the enormous social and economic effects on the people of Lothian of a 30 per cent. cut in this year's rate support grant to the regional council.

Last month more than 10,000 people marched through Edinburgh in an attempt to dissuade the Government from adopting this policy. The local Edinburgh paper described it as one of the largest protest marches to be staged in Scotland's capital city. At the beginning of this month officials of the Lothian regional council estimated that a cut of this magnitude would require the council to serve notice immediately on 15,000 of its 35,000 employees. No estimate has been made of the effect on employment in the private sector of a cut of this magnitude in Government expenditure in Lothian.

Notwithstanding the chaos and hardship that will result from such a cut, the Secretary of State for Scotland made it clear on Friday that he intended to press ahead with this policy. I recognise that the Secretary of State will require the approval of the House and that that decision is normally preceded by a short debate, but I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that this is an important matter that deserves the urgent attention of the House.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Strang) gave me notice before 12 o'clock midday 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 decision of the Secretary of State for Scotland to seek authority to make a retrospective cut of £47 million in the rate support grant payable to the Lothian regional council in the current financial year.

The hon. Gentleman drew attention to the fact that among the remaining Orders of the Day there is a motion in the name of the Secretary of State for Scotland, which makes it clear that this is a matter that must in any case fall to be discussed by the House.

I listened carefully to the hon. Gentleman's arguments. Without in any way seeking to diminish the importance and significance of the points that he made, I must rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order, and therefore I cannot submit his application to the House.