HC Deb 21 December 1982 vol 34 c837

4.8 pm

Mr. Nigel Spearing (Newham, South)

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 EC budget rebates to the United Kingdom and the powers of the EC Assembly. Yesterday I put forward some propositions about this matter, which I shall not now repeat, and today I invited the Chancellor of the Exchequer to confirm or deny them. He mentioned the current projects under application from the Government but did not deny that the EC Assembly wished to determine such matters in future and had power to do so.

Mr. Speaker, under Standing Order No. 9, you have to have regard to the probability of the matter being brought before the House in time by other means. I put it to you for your consideration that, having heard the exchanges today, it is clear that there will be discussions in the Assembly, in the budget committee of the Assembly and in the EC Council—indeed, there have been discussions on this matter already. The one place in which there has not been a full debate and discussion is in the House. Unless that discussion takes place before we go away for the Christmas Recess, the other bodies that are likely to take power from us will be discussing the matter, and we shall not.

The accession of power to the various institutions of the EC has been debated in the House on many occasions, but the power under which the Assembly now wishes to act was passed by the House on 8 December 1975 without proper notification on the Order Paper and without any hon. Member knowing what the business was. Therefore, I submit to you that on account of all these factors it would be appropriate, and indeed necessary, for us to have the debate tomorrow before we go into recess.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) seeks leave to move the Adjournment of the House to discuss a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the EC budget rebates to the United Kingdom and the powers of the EC Assembly. The House knows that 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 given careful consideration to the representations that the hon. Member has made, but I have to rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order. Therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.