§ 94. Mr. Bairdasked the Lord Privy Seal what information he has concerning the infiltration of troops from North Vietnam into South Vietnam, and the presence of United States troops in South Vietnam; what were the sources of this information; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HeathThe infiltration of guerilla troops from North into South Vietnam, which has been going on for some time, has increased considerably in recent months. I am not in a position to give an exact estimate of the scale of infiltration but it is clear that it has seriously affected the security situation in the Central Plateau area.
Captured documents and diaries found on the bodies of Viet Cong soldiers killed in action in South Vietnam confirm that individuals and groups of irregulars, having received training in North Vietnam have made their way through Laos, directly through the demilitarised zone and also by sea, to 145W the South. In recent actions against the South Vietnamese army the Viet Cong have been organised in battalion strength.
So far as I am aware there are no American troops in South Vietnam apart from the officers and men of the Military Assistance Advisory Group which is of course a training and advisory organisation.