HC Deb 25 January 1971 vol 810 cc34-6
Mr. Dalyell (by Private Notice)

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make immediate representations to the Soviet Government as co-chairman of the Geneva Convention in view of events in Cambodia and seek to act as mediator between the opposing forces outside Phnom Penh.

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Anthony Royle)

Her Majesty's Government have already made abundantly clear on repeated occasions their willingness to take any action, either as Geneva co-chairman or in any other way, which might help end the war in Indo-China. Unfortunately, the Russian co-chairman has shown no willingness to agree to joint action.

Mr. Dalyell

Has the Russian co-chairman been approached within the last 72 hours? If we are not to take an initiative, who can help these unfortunate Khmer people? In the light of Senator Mansfield's call for an inquiry by the Senate owing to American forces going beyond what he calls the spirit of the ban on ground forces arranged by the Senate itself, could not the Foreign Office take the initiative?

Mr. Royle

We last raised the matter when Mr. Gromyko visited this country and had talks with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. If we see any suitable opening, we shall, of course, be prepared to do so again.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Pending more hopeful developments in the matter, will Her Majesty's Government give all moral support to the United States Administration in supplying air support to Cambodia?

Mr. Royle

Yes, Sir. The root cause of the trouble in Cambodia, as in South Vietnam and Laos, is the illegal presence and activity of large numbers of North Vietnamese troops, who, clearly, are responsible for the attack.

Mr. Healey

Will the hon. Gentleman reconsider that reply? I do not think that he can have considered it very carefully.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Yes, he did. He read it out.

Mr. Healey

I do not accept that he read it out. Is not it really in the interests of everybody, not least the United States people, that the war should be brought to an end as soon as possible and that the United States should disengage its forces from the combat not only in Vietnam but even more in other parts of Indo-China? Is the hon. Gentleman really saying that the Government support air action by the United States in Cambodia at this time and at this stage in President Nixon's withdrawal policy?

Mr. Royle

Of course, the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely correct. We share his concern and his desire to get talks going. I was in Cambodia in October and on my return was with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State when he raised the matter with Mr. Gromyko. If the opportunity occurs again, we shall naturally take it.

Mr. Healey

Will the hon. Gentleman answer the question? Is it really the Government's policy to support bombing in Cambodia by United States forces at a time when the United States has given an undertaking that it will not involve its ground troops in that country at all?

Mr. Royle

We are not ourselves involved in Cambodia in any way. As my right hon. Friend is co-chairman of the Geneva Conference it would be wrong for me to say that we will in any way get ourselves involved in the events in Cambodia at the present time.