§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, as a signatory to the Paris Agreement for a cease-fire in Vietnam, they will take the initiative in recalling the Governments and parties concerned with a view to securing the implementation of the Agreement.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)My Lords, the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam was signed by the United Stales and the Vietnamese parties to the war. Her Majesty's Government attended the subsequent International Conference. There is no evidence that other Governments concerned think it would be useful to recall the International Conference at this time.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Baroness for that reply, may I ask her whether she would not agree that there is a grave danger that this may become the forgotten war? There is continued fighting on both sides, with an estimated 50,000 killed during the last year; and thousands of prisoners, who are due to be exchanged next Wednesday, are still kept in confinement. Cannot Her Majesty's Government take some initiative to bring this to an end?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, the International Conference has of course no power to enforce its views, and it is above all for 1056 the four parties who signed the Paris Agreement to make the Agreement work. So far as prisoners are concerned, I understand that agreement has been reached in principle for the resumption of the exchange of prisoners this month. It is only the mechanics of operating this exchange that are now causing difficulty.
§ LORD BROCKWAYMy Lords, while again thanking the noble Baroness, may I ask her whether Her Majesty's Government could not exert some influence on, or attempt some persuasion of, the Government of the United States of America, which is escalating its arms supplies to Saigon, including 71 new F.S.E. fighter bombers? It is estimated that its arms supplies to Saigon and Laos in the present year, July, 1973, to June, 1974, is costing 1,800 million dollars; and when arms are being poured in in this way, what hope is there of bringing an end to this war?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, the United States Government has carried out its obligations under the Paris Agreement, withdrawing all troops and refraining from any military intervention in Vietnam; and it has recently sent a Note to the North Vietnamese denying violating the Agreement. As I said earlier, there is provisioin for this Conference to be reconvened, but this is not our responsibility.
§ LORD BOURNEMy Lords, does the noble Baroness realise that if it were not for the heavy supply of arms which the noble Lord, Lord Brockway, has mentioned going into Saigon, there would be a Communist Government in Saigon now?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, it is true that there have been violations of the cease-fire on all sides, but nevertheless the parties who signed the Agreement continue to proclaim their support for it.
§ LORD SEGALMy Lords, apart from the appalling military losses on both sides, is the noble Baroness aware that the civilian population continues to suffer and to endure enormous hardships? Could the British Government renew their offer of voluntary aid in some form to the civilian population?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, we have given relief aid to the Saigon Government, to the Save The Children Fund and to the Indo-China Operations Group of the International Red Cross. We have no plans at the moment to step up this aid.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, may I ask the noble Baroness whether there is now any reality at all in our position as co-Chairman under the 1954 'Geneva Agreements by which we were designated co-Chairman with Russia under the Agreement worked out by the then Prime Minister or the then Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, much has happened since 1954. We have, of course, the Paris Agreement of 1973, and we have the International Conference which succeeded that.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, does the noble Baroness imply, then, that there is no reality now about our situation as co-Chairman, as there was in those days?
§ BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIEMy Lords, I think the reality lies in the Paris Agreement; and, of course, the Conference can be reconvened upon a joint request by the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on behalf of the parties signatory to the Agreement.