§ Mr. Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 10, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely,
the cost of land in the Falkland Islands for the Falkland Islands airport.This matter is specific because it has emerged from the other place that the costs now being asked of, and agreed to, by the Government by the Falkland Islands Company are a staggering 30 times per acre the cost of similar land in the area. One might think that, as other land in the islands is being donated because of what happened, this is a definite case of exploitation.The subject is urgent because the contract of sale—so the other place was told—has not yet been signed. If this House is to do anything about it—by inquiring into the price per acre and so on—we must do it this week and not next week. To any hon. Member who feels that the Standing Order No. 10 procedure is being abused, my blunt answer is that next week will be too late to do anything about what is regarded as a matter of importance, not only by me but by people whose view of the whole matter is different from mine.
In this connection, I cite a knight of the garter, my noble Friend Lord Shackleton. He says that it is a scandal, and it will be agreed that he is not among the persistent critics of the Falklands situation. Those who are informed about the matter, including Lord Shackleton and many other peers, by no means all Labour, have made it clear that, as the facts emerged from the Minister in another place, Lord Trefgarne, they came to regard it as a scandal.
I put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that there should be at least a statement on the Government's attitude to compensation, subject to arbitration and the confidential sale of land in the Falkland Islands. Why cannot the House of Commons be told about those financial arrangements, as the chief adviser——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Member is asking for a Standing Order No. 10 debate, not for a statement from the Government. He must show it to be an urgent matter.
§ Mr. DalyellI know the urgency of the timetable, Sir. I shall leave my case at that.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Member asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter, namely,
the cost of land in the Falkland Islands for the Falkland Islands airport.I have given careful consideration to the hon. Member's speech, but I regret that I do not consider the matter that he has raised as appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10. I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On a previous occasion my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore) raised the matter of the statement on radio on 25 February by the Chairman of the Select Committee on Members' Interests. He talked about what he believed the Committee should do. I know that you have dealt with that matter, Mr. Speaker, but, in view of what we have heard today from the Chairman of Ways and Means, can we expect a personal statement from the Chairman of the Select Committee?
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. As the hon. Member has correctly said, I have dealt with that matter.
§ Mr. D. N. Campbell-Savours (Workington)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) has just raised——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I have dealt with that matter as well.
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursThis matter relates to my hon. Friend's statement, not to his application. Yesterday a statement was made in the other place in relation to this matter. That statement was at variance with the statement made yesterday at the Dispatch Box by the Secretary of State for Defence. As you, Mr. Speaker, represent the interests of Back Benchers, will you establish the truth for us?
§ Mr. SpeakerI keep having to say that I am not responsible for statements from the Government Front Bench. I am certainly not responsible for statements made elsewhere.