Police Federation of Northern Ireland (Hansard, 3 February 1986)

§ Sir Eldon Griffiths (Bury St. Edmunds)
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 restriction on the right of free speech imposed on the Police Federation of Northern Ireland.
The matter is specific, in that the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland has tried to gag the elected chairman of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland by issuing a force order cancelling regulation 35 of the Royal Ulster Constabulary discipline code.
Regulation 35 reads: Nothing in these regulations will preclude the spokesman of any of the constituent sections of the Police association for Northern Ireland making or issuing any statement to the news media concerning the welfare and efficiency of their members.
Last week, the assistant chief constable, acting on the Chief Constable's instruction, handed to the chairman of the Police Federation a paper, of which I have a copy, saying that regulation 35, which establishes beyond peradventure the right of the federation to speak out on any matter which the House has made its business, had been amended thus: Statements and interviews and the publication of articles in any journal or periodical concerning matters of general Force policy and actions, or expressions of opinion on police problems or duties are not permitted without the express consent and approval of the Chief Constable … Where any aspect of welfare or efficiency may relate to Force policy or actions, police problems or duties, the Chief Constable shall be consulted and approval obtained, before any statement is made or any article published.
Those words have no meaning other than that the Chief Constable of Northern Ireland intended, and intends to prevent the federation from making any comment in public which he has not specifically approved in advance. This is not only censorship. It is, and is meant to be, a gag.
During the weekend, the Chief Constable went further. He withdrew the amendment that I have just quoted and substituted for it his force order cancelling regulation 35 —the federation's free speech regulation—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman must not use arguments which he might use if the application were granted.

§ Sir Eldon Griffiths
I am obliged, Mr. Speaker. I merely wanted to say that the matter is specific because the force order contains the words: Regulation 35 is cancelled".
The matter is also urgent because, if the Chief Constable's force order is allowed to stand, not only is free speech denied, but when the chairman of the Police Federation meets the press on Wednesday or Thursday his superior officer will have no choice but to charge him with a disciplinary offence. That is why it is urgent for his matter to be dealt with.
The matter is important, too, for the Chief Constable's action in Ulster could pose a threat to the free speech of the Police Federations of England and Wales and of Scotland as well as that of Northern Ireland. The federations on this side of the water will go to the aid of their Northern Ireland colleagues if this oppressive order is not withdrawn.
I therefore invite you, Mr. Speaker, to allow the House to debate this matter as it touches on one of our most fundamental rights—that of free speech—and strikes at the heart of the morale of 8,000 brave men and women who make up the Police Federation of Northern Ireland.
The matter is specific, urgent and important. I beg to ask that leave be given for it to take precedence over other business.

§ 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 restriction on the right of free speech imposed on the Police Federation of Northern Ireland.
The hon. Gentleman has raised a very important matter and I have listened with great care to what he has said. However, I have to give him the same answer as I gave to the hon. Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow). I regret that I cannot find that the matter that he has raised meets all of the criteria laid down in the Standing Order, and I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House. No doubt he will be able to find other ways in which to bring the matter before the House.