HC Deb 07 December 1988 vol 143 cc331-2 4.30 pm
Mr. Bob Clay (Sunderland, North)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the decision by the Government announced today to close North East Shipbuilders Ltd. The matter is obviously specific in the light of the Minister's statement. It is urgent because, unless the House can call the Government to account within the next few hours, the orders that could come to that yard will no longer be available. The statement should not be allowed to stand. We must also try to stop the devastating demoralisation that is already flowing rapidly through the area that I and other hon. Members represent.

The House should examine carefully some of the statements made by the Minister. It is not true that the recent bids for privatisation were properly examined. I know from personal experience that one bidder was refused meetings with the Minister's financial advisers and accountants, despite the fact that for weeks previously the other bidders had plenty of opportunity to discuss the matter and plenty of information. How can he say that there was a serious assessment?

How can the Minister say that none of the bids would have been acceptable to the European Community when the Government never put a formal proposal to the EC? The House should debate the matter in detail. If, as the Minister says, the EC would have closed the yard, the Government should have told the EC that they were not prepared to close it.

Many specific matters about the conduct of this case should he discussed. For example, advice given in good faith by a civil servant to a bidder turned out to be wrong, but it was too late for the bidder seriously to revise his proposal. This afternoon the Minister rubbished British Shipbuilders and said that it was incapable of running the yard any longer, yet he relied on its judgment—rightly or wrongly—to assess whether the yard should stay open. It is nonsense.

This is a wicked decision that should he debated by the House immediately. We should not allow the Government to run away from the decision that they have made. They should be called to account, and we should be able to debate the shambles and the tragedy that they have perpetrated this afternoon.

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 believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the decision by the Government announced today to close North East Shipbuilders Ltd. I have listened with concern to what the hon. Gentleman said and to the exchanges in the House this afternoon, but, as he knows, the Standing Order prevents me from giving reasons to the House. I regret that his application does not meet the criteria laid down under Standing Order No. 20 and I cannot, therefore, submit his application to the House.

Mr. Alan Williams (Swansea, West)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Of course, I do not challenge your ruling, but you will have heard the depth of feeling about this catastrophe for the people of the north-east. As the Leader of the House is present, and as this is a Government decision, may I prevail upon you to ask him to allow time early next week for us to have a full debate? Perhaps he can make a proper statement announcing the time of that debate in tomorrow's business statement.

The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. John Wakeham)

Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I recognise the importance of the issue and the strength of feeling. I undertake to have discussions, through the usual channels, to see whether we can find a way of proceeding that will be satisfactory to hon. Members on both sides of the House.