§ 5. Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will have talks with the representative of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam when she is in Great Britain at Easter.
§ Mr. WhitlockNo, Sir.
§ Mr. WinnickSince any peace in South Vietnam abviously would require the support and active participation of the National Liberation Front, why does the Foreign Office not take the opportunity of the visit of Madame Binh at Easter-time to have conversations with the leading representative of the N.L.F.?
§ Mr. WhitlockWe do not recognise the National Liberation Front in any way, nor do we accept its claim to speak for South Vietnam, but, should North Vietnam as a member of the 1954 and 1962 Geneva Conferences have any communication to make to my right hon. Friend as the British co-Chairman, it has a number of channels through which it could if it wished send a representative here for that purpose.
§ Mr. George JegerWill my hon. Friend reconsider that decision? Would it not be a good thing for the Government to have talks with the representative of the National Liberation Front 1025 to find how a number of my hon. Friends were conned into misleading the House by the opinion they gave it on numerous occasions—that if only America would stop the bombing peace would ensue?
§ Mr. WhitlockI have nothing to say on the subject of conning, but we have no reason to think that Madame Binh's views are different from those made public by her delegation in Paris after each session of talks, or for that matter during her last visit here, and I assume that while here she will be repeating them at the rally which she is to address.