SOUTH-EAST ASIA (Mr. GORDON WALKER'S VISIT) (Hansard, 3 May 1965)

§ 27. Mr. William Hamilton
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what progress has been made by Mr. Patrick Gordon Walker in his mission to South-East Asia.

§ 38. Mr. Hector Hughes
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the terms of reference given to Mr. Gordon Walker for the interviews he has undertaken in Asia; with whom interviews have taken place; what were the subjects discussed; and what were the results achieved.

§ Mr. M. Stewart
Mr. Gordon Walker's terms of reference were to visit South-East Asia as my Special Representative to discuss the problems of the area with the Governments concerned and to report his impressions to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and myself. He had discussions with the Burmese Head of State, the Prime Ministers of Thailand, South Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos and Japan, and with the Foreign Ministers of these countries and of Cambodia, as well as with other people able to provide useful information. The principal subjects discussed were the conflict in Vietnam and the Soviet proposal for a conference on Cambodia. Mr. Gordon Walker has not yet returned to London with his report, so it is too early for me to state the final results of his tour.

§ Mr. Hamilton
Will my right hon. Friend give an assurance that Mr. Walker is still holding himself available for discussions with Hanoi and Peking? Can he give the House any idea when Mr. Walker will be returning to this country if his efforts at this kind of negotiation prove unfruitful?

§ Mr. Stewart
If we were now to get an indication that Hanoi or Peking would receive Mr. Gordon Walker, most certainly he would go there. Failing that, he will be back here very shortly.

§ Mr. Hector Hughes
Will the Foreign Secretary state what steps he has taken to make it clear to the Governments in South-East Asia that Mr. Gordon Walker has behind him the whole weight of Her Majesty's Government in Britain? Secondly, when Mr. Gordon Walker returns to this country will his report be debated in the House?

§ Mr. Stewart
It was made very clear, when we sent out the request to the Governments concerned to receive Mr. Gordon Walker, what his position was. The question of a debate is not one for me. Of course the House will be made acquainted with the substance of Mr. Gordon Walker's report.

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
In view of the Foreign Secretary's statement concerning the terms of reference of Mr. Gordon Walker being concerned mainly with fact finding and his having no authority to negotiate, can the Foreign Secretary say in what respect these visits will be useful compared with the usual diplomatic channels?

§ Mr. Stewart
I think that it would be right for me not to comment on that until the tour is complete and I have Mr. Gordon Walker's report. I have found during the last few weeks that the interim reports which I have received from him on conversations have been useful. This is an extremely difficult matter. We are faced with much intransigence on the other side. I believe that this particular adventure, this particular initiative, had good prospects of being useful and is being useful, and I think that it deserves the support of the House.