Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:27 pm on 23 November 1989.
Mr Bernard Weatherill
, Croydon North East
3:27,
23 November 1989
The hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) 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 current ambulance dispute and the introduction of outside agencies into the west midlands accident and emergency service.
As the House knows, under Standing Order No. 20, I have to announce my decision without giving my reasons to the House. I have listened with care to what the hon. Gentleman has said, but, as he knows, I must decide whether the matter should have precedence over the business already set down for today or for Monday. I regret that the matter that he has raised does not meet the criteria of the Standing Order, and I therefore cannot submit his application to the House.
An adjournment is a break in the course of parliamentary business.
The House adjourns at the end of each day's business.
On a daily basis the House adjourns, or breaks, half an hour after the moving of the adjournment debate.
The House is also adjourned for several holiday periods during the session.
The more lengthy adjournments - often coinciding with the academic calendar - are known as recesses.
