§ Q3. Mr. Goodhartasked the Prime Minister whether he will discuss with President Johnson the question of whether British aid to South Vietnam should be increased in view of the intensification of the fighting there.
§ Q6. Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Prime Minister if, in his forthcoming meeting with President Johnson, he will seek to discuss the need to cease United States bombing in Vietnam, with special reference to the use of napalm on civilians.
§ Q8. Mr. A. Royleasked the Prime Minister what requests he has received from the United States Government for British aid in South Vietnam.
§ The Prime MinisterI hope to discuss with President Johnson all aspects of the Vietnam problem. If the hon. Member for Richmond (Mr. A. Royle) means troops by his Question, there has been no such recent request.
§ Mr. GoodhartWill the Prime Minister remember, when this question comes up in Washington, that in fact the request for help with the refugees from the Viet Cong area has laid on the table for 600 several months? Will he consider sending as quickly as possible the medical assistance which has been requested?
§ The Prime MinisterOn the question of humanitarian and social help of this kind, we have been giving some assistance, as the hon. Gentleman probably knows. We have given medical assistance. There was a spectacular photograph in the Press recently of a case of this kind. There is a very distinguished medical representative over there now discussing what can be done further in the matter of medical assistance.
§ Mr. JenkinsWhen my right hon. Friend sees President Johnson will he draw his attention to the fact that the bombing of citizens is prohibited by international law, whereas there is no such prohibition on guerrilla warfare as such?
§ The Prime MinisterI think that distinctions between what is prohibited and what is not prohibited, while important, take second place to the consideration that, as long as this war continues, there are going to be some horrible things happening, whether prohibited or not prohibited by the rules of war. What we want to do is to get all the parties to the negotiating table to end the war.
§ Mr. RoyleMy Question did not solely refer to troops. Would the Prime Minister consider sending an ambulance unit to South Vietnam? Has he been requested to do so?
§ The Prime MinisterIn previous discussions with the American Government we have expressed our willingness to provide humanitarian assistance of this kind. As I have said, there is a distinguished medical representative over there discussing what more we can do to help in that field.
§ Mr. ZilliacusWill the Prime Minister extend any humanitarian aid given to South Vietnam to North Vietnam? Will he ask the United States Administration to make clear that they accept the Geneva Agreements, including the unification and neutralisation of Vietnam, as a basis for a settlement?
§ The Prime MinisterWe are prepared to extend humanitarian aid wherever it may be needed, but it is not very easy to make arrangements for this when it is not possible to have any kind of dialogue 601 with Hanoi. My hon. Friend the Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance could have discussed these things if he had been afforded proper access for such discussions.