HC Deb 07 March 1990 vol 168 c881

4.3 pm

Mr. Robert Hayward (Kingswood)

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 20, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration, namely, the violence against the police and arrests at Bristol council house last night. You, Mr. Speaker, and the whole House will be only too well aware that the events in Bristol last night were the worst example of a series of attacks on council houses that took place around the country, in Birmingham, Reading, Bristol and Exeter, all of which appear to have been co-ordinated by certain individuals who are involved in the anti-poll tax union. The matter is important and specific because five police were injured last night, one of them quite seriously by being knocked unconscious. Another was kicked and stamped on, and another, in Bristol, was electrocuted and treated for shock. There appears to be a group of people moving across the country, organising these demonstrations on behalf of the Left wing of the Labour movement.

In Bristol, these actions were co-ordinated by a former Labour councillor and were supported by two other members of the Labour group on the city council.

Surely this House needs to give urgent consideration to this matter, not only to protect the police force, which acted brilliantly in Bristol, but also to protect councillors and members of the public who have the right to attend meetings and object in a peaceful manner. The demonstrators in Bristol and in other parts of the country last night were not locals or pensioners; they were part of an organised mob. That is why I believe that we should urgently discuss this issue.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. Gentleman asks leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 20, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that he believes should have urgent consideration, namely, the violence against the police and arrests at Bristol council house last night.

Mr. Rupert Allason (Torbay)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I am on my feet.

As the House knows, under Standing Order No. 20 I have to announce my decision without giving reasons to the House. I have listened with care to what the hon. Gentleman has said about this matter, but, as he knows, I have to decide whether to give it precedence over the business set down for today and tomorrow. I regret that the matter that he raised does not meet the requirements of the Standing Order, and I therefore cannot submit his application to the House.

I shall now take a point of order of which I have been notified.