§ 18. Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what points of agreement have now been reached in the truce talks taking place in Korea; what points of disagreement are still outstanding; what is being done to resolve them; and what are the prospects of complete agreement being reached at an early date.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydNo further agreement has been reached since the reply which my right hon. Friend gave the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. E. Fletcher) on 9th April. The concessions which the United Nations Command and the Communists respectively have indicated they would be willing to make, over the repair and construction of military airfields after an armistice, and the nomination of nations neutral in the Korean conflict to provide inspection teams, were both made conditional upon agreement over the right of prisoners of war to choose whether or not they wished to be repatriated.
This latter point is now the sole outstanding issue. We are in constant touch with the United States and other interested Governments and are considering every possible method of overcoming this difficulty, subject to maintenance of the principle of voluntary repatriation. I cannot at present give any estimate of whether or when success will attend these efforts.
§ Mr. HughesDoes the Minister not agree that this matter has assumed a new urgency in view of the bombing raids of the last two days and the danger of expanding and extending the war; and will he therefore redouble his efforts to see that the few outstanding points are resolved so that the war will not be 2222 widened and will be brought to a speedy termination?
§ Mr. LloydWithout agreeing to the first part of the hon. and learned Gentleman's supplementary question, I agree that this is a matter which is capable of speedy solution, and I certainly hope that it will receive that speedy solution.
§ Sir T. MooreIs it possible to resolve this disagreement when the other party to that disagreement is not willing that the agreement should be resolved?
§ Mr. A. HendersonWill the right hon. and learned Gentleman deal with the latest phase of this re-screening problem in his statement on Tuesday?
§ Mr. S. SilvermanIn view of the United Nations Commander on the spot having made a statement that the bombing raids on the power stations was his attempt to reach, in that way, an agreement which is not impossible at the conference table, are we to understand that the United Nations' method now is to destroy power stations which serve thousands of miles of non-Korean territory as a means of inducing the North Koreans to agree to the screening of prisoners of war on Koje Island?
§ Mr. LloydIt is difficult to debate this matter at this stage. I gather that it will be, in part, debated later in the day, and I am certain that the hon. Gentleman will learn certain matters which will affect his judgment.
§ Mr. NicholsonCan my right hon. and learned Friend say, when he refers to being in constant touch with the United States Government, whether this is through the State Department or the United Nations Command?