§ Mrs. Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley)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,
NATO's controversial plan to modernise American chemical weapons.The matter is specific because today or tomorrow a Defence Minister representing the Government will leave for Brussels for a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers. That meeting is likely to give approval to NATO's controversial plan to modernise NATO's chemical weapons.The matter is important because production of these weapons has been delayed by the United States Congress until at least 1 October. One of the conditions is that NATO should formally ask for those weapons by making modernisation and production of them part of NATO's strategy. We still have an opportunity to influence and reject such a proposal. Today, more than 100 Labour and Liberal Members of Parliament have written to the Washington Post, the New York Times and the International Herald Tribune and to senators and congressmen to voice their opposition to the production, possession and use of chemical weapons.
Conflicting statements have been made on this issue by United Kingdom Ministers. On 28 April, in the House the Minister of State for the Armed Forces said that there would be no deployment of the new chemical weapons in the United Kingdom in peacetime. But, speaking on "Weekend World", the same Minister said that he did not rule out the possibility of the United Kingdom agreeing to the deployment of United States chemical weapons in peacetime. What is the Government's precise position? We have a right to know.
The issue requires urgent consideration because, unlike the Parliaments of other European countries and the United States Congress, which has debated this issue at great length, we at Westminster have had no such debate. I believe that the issue meets all the criteria laid down in Standing Order No. 10 and that such a debate should take place immediately.
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Lady asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that she believes should have urgent consideration, namely,
the forthcoming discussions between the NATO Defence Ministers of the proposal to give approval to the modernisation of chemical weapons held by the United States Government.As the hon. Lady knows, the only decision I have to take is whether to give this matter precedence over the Orders set down for consideration today or tomorrow. I regret that I do not consider that the matter she has raised is appropriate for discussion under Standing Order No. 10 and, therefore, I cannot submit her application to the House.
§ Mr. Robert N. Wareing (Liverpool, West Derby)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, arising from your decision. I am not dissenting——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am sorry, but no point can arise from my decision.