UNESCO (United Kingdom Membership) (Hansard, 21 November 1984)

§ Mr. Donald Anderson (Swansea, East)
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 decision regarding the United Kingdom's membership of UNESCO.
This subject is clearly a matter that falls squarely within the criteria of the Standing Order. There is no doubt that the decision whether to remain a member of the organisation is specific and within the Government's responsibility. It is difficult to over-stress the importance of the decision, which will be a clear signal of our foreign policy orientation—whether we respect the views of the Commonwealth, our European partners and the Third world generally, or whether we are, indeed, the Trojan horse of the United States of America—Mr. Reagan's poodle— in our external relations. Other examples abound— Grenada, the law of the sea signature and general policy towards central America.
It is common knowledge that Mrs. Jean Gerard, the United States Ambassador to UNESCO, has been lobbying hard for European support for the United States position, including a visit to the Prime Minister. Hence the emergency meeting last Thursday of all the heads of mission of the Commonwealth countries in London and the crisis letter to the Foreign Secretary which resulted; the fact that those same heads of mission will be raising the matter with the Foreign Secretary when they meet him at 5 o'clock this afternoon; and that yesterday in Brussels our European partners made it clear to the Foreign Office that they will not follow our lead.
Our European partners acknowledge that there are substantial faults within the organisation, but, essentially, they press for reform from within and fear that the reform movement will be stalled if we withdraw.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Member must make out a case as to why this matter is urgent, specific and important and not go into the detail of the speech that he might make if the application were granted.

§ Mr. Anderson
Of course, I do not go into the merits of the matter, Mr. Speaker. I was repeating the views of our European partners. Having touched upon the specific nature of the request and the importance of the matter, I deal finally with the urgency. Apart from today's meeting of the Foreign Secretary and the high commissioners of Commonwealth countries in London, it is clear that the Government are on the brink of a decision. Yesterday, we heard the Prime Minister's fiery and hostile response to my hon. Friend the Member for Monklands, West (Mr. Clarke). Before reaching a decision of this importance, the Government should provide an opportunity for the House to express a view.
In short, the House should have an opportunity to pull the Government back from an impulsive, defeatist, incompetent and wrong decision—from what we believe to be a historic error.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter which he believes should have urgent consideration, namely the decision regarding the United Kingdom's membership of UNESCO".
I have listened with great care to what the hon. Gentleman has said, but I regret that I do not consider that the matter he has raised is appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10 and I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House.