§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (West Lothian)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 latest position in the Falkland Islands".It must be a matter of incredulity to many people outside the House that we can discuss devolution for Northern Ireland without a statement from the Foreign Secretary on the whole issue that surrounds the use by this country of the veto in the United Nations, and in the absence of any statement by the Secretary of State for Defence on circumstances in which our country is slithering into a British Vietnam in the South Atlantic.In answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours), the Prime Minister demonstrated the unreality of her thinking when she used the term "armistice" in that context. What evidence is there that any country in South America, let alone Argentina, will see the lowering of a flag, which they conceive to be the South American, not just the Argentinian, flag?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman knows that he must argue the case of urgency and importance, and not make the speech that he would make about the Falklands if I were to grant his application.
§ Mr. DalyellI know that very well. I shall therefore leave the matter of importance as I have left it.
There is a very important matter of urgency. Before the American President leaves these shores tomorrow, should he not be asked the crucial question of precisely what he said to Major-General Vernon Walters and other leading officials from the United States who had regular contacts with the Government in Buenos Aires throughout the period October 1981 to January and February 1982?
If it turns out to be true that senior Americans, with the authorisation of the only man who can clear up this mystery—in other words, the President of the United States—did indeed give the junta and its advisers the impression that the Americans were serious in establishing a base in the south Atlantic to curb Russian penetration, and if it is also true that the American Government were asked at the highest level in January of this year what they 33 thought the British reaction would be to a military takeover of the Falkland Islands, and their advice was that the British would protest verbally and do little else, I submit that these are matters of considerable importance to our country. They are the whole basis of the war without end that we seem to be slithering into.
In those circumstances, is it not a matter of urgency that the one man on the face of the planet who can clear up these matters, the President of the United States, should be asked those leading questions and should give a public answer before he, as our guest, leaves this country.
I therefore put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that these matters take some precedence over the prospect of devolution in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. SpeakerOf course, the latter point is not a matter on which I am immediately asked to rule.
The hon. Member for West Lothian (Mr. Dalyell) gave me notice this morning before 12 o'clock that he would seek leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he thinks should have urgent consideration, namely,
the latest position in the Falkland Islands".As the House 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 with care to what the hon. Gentleman said, and he knows that I did, but I must rule that his submission does not fall within the provisions of the Standing Order. Therefore, I cannot submit his application to the House.