§ 28. Mr. Peytonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he intends to take to prevent the frequent and deliberate obstruction of the work of the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Viet-Nam by the Communist authorities in Northern Viet-Nam; and if he has considered the statements of the chairman of the Canadian delegation to the International Commission on this subject.
§ Lord John HopeHer Majesty's Government and the Soviet Government addressed a message to the other members' of the Geneva Conference on Indo-China and to the Supervisory Powers on 21st December, 1955. This message deplored obstruction of the activities of the International Commission and invited suggestions for improving the implementation of the Geneva Agreements. The replies to the message have not all been received as yet.
§ Mr. PeytonWill my hon. Friend take further steps to accelerate these replies? Does he not agree that the report of the chairman of the Canadian delegation is a really disgusting catalogue of Communist bad faith?
§ Lord John HopeYes, Sir, that is true. We certainly want these replies as quickly as those concerned can get them in.
§ Mr. YoungerWere there not also passages in the statement by the Canadian delegation indicating a good deal of non-co-operation from the non-Communist part of Viet-Nam as well?
§ Lord John HopeYes, that is true, but very much less than on the other side.
§ 29. Mr. Peytonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what action he intends to take on the situation disclosed by paragraph 5, page 19, of Command Paper No. 9654, that soldiers political cadres and local militia were frequently stationed in the houses of the Catholic population with instructions to prevent them from leaving their homes in Northern Viet-Nam in order to contact the investigating teams of the International Commission.
§ Lord John HopeThe situation to which my hon. Friend refers was that obtaining in the spring of 1955. As the House knows, Her Majesty's Government were instrumental in extending by two months the time limit for the movement of refugees from North to South.
§ Mr. PeytonCan the Joint Under-Secretary say whether this Catholic problem has been settled to the satisfaction of Her Majesty's Government, as in this country it still seems to arouse very widespread and, I think, well-founded doubts?
§ Lord John HopeIt would certainly not be accurate to say that we are satisfied with the way things are going there, but there are limits to what we can do.