Royal Ulster Constabulary (Hansard, 4 March 1986)

§ Sir Eldon Griffiths (Bury St. Edmunds)
I apologise, Mr. Speaker, for not having given you written notice of my intention to seek your leave to move the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 10, but the matter has arisen out of the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. With your leave, beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House to discuss a matter of specific. urgent importance, namely,
the allegation made by hon. Members of the House, and inferentially supported by the Secretary of State, that members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary have failed in their duty to maintain the law as Parliament makes it and to maintain their oath of office to the Queen and to the House. It is a specific matter because, if the allegation is correct, members of the RUC are guilty of the most serious crime. It is important because, if the police service cannot be relied upon to maintain the law of the land, no Government and no law are possible. It is urgent because we can see with our own eyes the chaos which is in prospect in Northern Ireland.
As one who supports the agreement and who supports the Secretary of State, I wish, by moving the Adjournment of the House, to give my right hon. Friend an opportunity to take back the suggestion to which he lent his authority today, that the police service of Northern Ireland did less than its duty yesterday in the face of the rebellion against the law.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Gentleman has asked leave to move the Adjournment—

§ The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Tom King)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I cannot deal with a point of order in the middle of a Standing Order No. 10 application.
The hon. Gentleman has asked leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely,
allegations made by hon. Members of the House, and supported by the Secretary of State, that members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary have failed to maintain the law and to follow their oath of allegiance. I have listened to the hon. Gentleman, but I regret that I do not consider that the matter that he has raised is appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10. I cannot therefore submit his application to the House.

§ Mr. Tom King
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was aware that I could not interrupt my hon. Friend in his Standing Order No. 10 application. I very much regret that he chose to raise the matter in that way. In no sense did I inferentially imply a lack of confidence in the RUC. What I said clearly—[HON. MEMBERS: "That is not a point of order."]—is that there have been a number of complaints alleging that the police did not take action. It is—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I fully understand the strong feeling of the Secretary of State on the matter, but I must apply the same rules to the Front Bench as I apply to the Back Benches.