Midlands Coalfields (Police Action) (Hansard, 19 March 1984)

§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)

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 attention, namely, the police presence in the midlands coalfields. There has been a great deal of intimidation by the police in the operation of their duties. Partly as a result of this mass police presence—the worst since world war two—the Derbyshire miners at their meeting this morning decided, by a fairly substantial majority, to call an official strike in line with the action of those coalfields that have been on strike for more than a week.

An important matter to be taken into account in my application for a debate is that, although the police were supposed to go into the midlands coalfields on behalf of the Government to carry out their duties to stop strikes, it was said at the Derbyshire miners council meeting this morning that one reason why they decided to call the strike was that they had been provoked by the mass police presence in Derbyshire.

I have also just received information on an immediate matter from one of my hon. Friends to the effect that the police presence in Whitwell colliery canteen in my constituency resulted in the meeting being called to a halt and the police refusing to leave until the meeting ends. Many people, both in and outside the coalfields, are affronted by this attack on civil liberties—[interruption.]—following the Government's withdrawal of freedom and liberties from those who work at GCHQ. Some of us said then that we are witnessing the march of Fascism in 1984, and this police operation is part of that.

708 That is why many of us believe that this is a serious and important matter that needs urgent attention. All that the miners from Yorkshire and other coalfields are attempting to do is to save jobs and to give miners the right to work, not just this week, but for many years to come, in pits that are threatened with closure.

This is a just cause. Although the police were supposed to be stopping people from taking part in peaceful picketing, the result is that the Derbyshire miners have decided to call an official strike and join those who are already on strike.

§ Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman asks 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, police action in the midlands coalfields and the decision of the Derbyshire NUM to call an official strike. I do not in any way under-estimate the importance of what the hon. Gentleman has said, but he and the House will know that the only decision that I must take is whether to give this matter precedence over the business already set down for today or tomorrow. I listened carefully to what the hon. Gentleman said, but I regret that I do not consider the matter that he has raised to be appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10 and I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House.