VIETNAM (Hansard, 23 May 1968)

§ Q5. Mr. Frank Allaun
asked the Prime Minister what steps he will now take to help the prospects for negotiations to end the war in Vietnam.

§ The Prime Minister
Both sides are fully aware that our help is available when they desire it. And as the House will know, my right hon. Friend the 863 Foreign Secretary is at the moment in Moscow where Vietnam is among the subjects being discussed.

§ Mr. Allaun
Does not the essential factor remain the ending of the bombing? If the Government accepted that policy, as urged by the Labour Party conference, could not my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary succeed in getting joint action in Moscow?

§ The Prime Minister
For more than 18 months, long before the resolution to which my hon. Friend referred, we have been trying to help, with the Soviet Union, to get the conditions in which the bombing could end and the parties come to the conference table. The parties are now at the conference table. I do not think that we can help by contributions of that kind. But I am sure that my right hon. Friend in Moscow will join with the Soviet Union in any action that can be taken to further the purposes of the talks.

§ Mr. Eldon Griffiths
Is it not now a fact that nine-tenths of North Vietnam is no longer subject to American bombing, whereas the whole of South Vietnam is still being attacked by the Communists? Is it not also a fact that the best service the Prime Minister can render to the negotiations in Paris is to keep out of them?

§ The Prime Minister
I am not sure of the exact figure of nine-tenths, but a very high proportion of North Vietnam is no longer subject to American bombing. Infiltration to the south has been the problem. One of the reasons why the parties are getting together is that the Soviet Union and we ourselves refused to accept the advice of the hon. Gentleman but worked hard in private to get conditions in which the parties could get together.

§ Mr. Mendelson
Whatever views might be held on the other side of the House, has my right hon. Friend noted that U Thant made a statement after the beginning of the Paris conference that he still regards the cessation of all American bombing operations as the essential condition of progress at the conference? Will my right hon Friend support that view?

§ The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend can be assured that throughout this 864 period we have been at least as closely in touch with the situation as the Secretary-General of the United Nations and had to form our own judgment about what would help. Now that the parties are together, no one under-rates the tremendous difficulties about the negotiations. I think that, apart from the essential work of getting in touch with our co-Chairman, the best thing is to let the parties get on with it if they will.