HC Deb 27 April 1967 vol 745 cc1805-6
16. Mr. Frank Allaun

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests he has received to admit to the United Kingdom a spokesman for the Vietnamese National Liberation Front; and what reply he has sent to the one made on 8th March.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

Four, during the past six months.

I assume the second part of the Question refers to a letter dated 7th March from the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation. I have informed the Foundation that, for the reasons given in my reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 9th March, I am not prepared to grant the visas requested.

Mr. Allaun

Is this fair? Whatever the Foreign Secretary may feel, does the Home Secretary realise that he is undermining his good and liberal reputation by refusing free speech and free entry in this way?

Mr. Jenkins

As a member of the Government, my duty is to endeavour in every possible way to help the efforts of the Government to bring this war to an end at the earliest possible time.

Mr. Michael Foot

How can it possibly injure the Government's case in this matter if spokesmen for the National Liberation Front are able to put their case here, as they can elsewhere? If it is the policy of Her Majesty's Government, as it is, that representatives of the National Liberation Front should come to a conference, why should they not come to England?

Mr. Jenkins

Because coming to a conference would be to endeavour to get peace, and coming to England would be for a different purpose.

Sir C. Osborne

Will the right hon. Gentleman agree to this request on a reciprocal basis so that the Prime Minister's Parliamentary Private Secretary, who has been refused a hearing in Hanoi, may have one and have the same opportunity to express our opinion there as they want to have to express theirs here?

Mr. Jenkins

That might be rather complicated to arrange.