Orders of the Day — Defence (Army) Estimates, 1969–70, Vote A

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 March 1969.

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Photo of Mr George Younger Mr George Younger , Ayr 12:00, 12 March 1969

The hon. Gentleman is on an extraordinarily bad point. That was one of 50, 60, or more addresses. I can see no reason why any address should not be used—the hon. Member's address could perfectly well have been used. If he believes that there are over I million people in Scotland who will follow, in a docile way, a supposedly political campaign by one political party, then he is very much out of touch with things.

Having produced this petition with over I million signatures, it is beyond belief that the Government have made no effort to meet the wishes expressed in it. Even if they had thought the whole thing to be nonsense, they could have recognised that this was a manifestation of ordinary people, unconnected with me, or anyone, expressing a strong opinion and that something should have been done to meet the feelings expressed.

It has not been stated clearly enough that those concerned have gone to great lengths to suggest alternative ways in which the Government could avoid what must be even to them a distasteful thing. These alternatives have all been brushed aside. They have probably been studied by the Minister, but all I can say is that I do not think that he considered them sufficiently critically. No doubt he got his advisers to tell him what they thought but he went no further. Some of these suggestions must be possible.