§ Q4. Mr. Dribergasked the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress made by Her Majesty's Government towards a peaceful settlement in Vietnam.
§ Q6. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister what progress has been made in the last three months by the 33W Commonwealth Peace Mission on the solution of the problem of Vietnam; and what initiatives by the mission are contemplated.
§ Mr. George BrownI have been asked to reply.
Since my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary reported to the House before the Recess, I regret to say that it has not been possible to make progress towards peace in Vietnam despite all the efforts that have been made by the British Government, the Commonwealth Mission, other Governments and the world leaders concerned. The obstacle remains North Vietnamese insistence on prior acceptance of Mr. Pham Van Dong's Four Points. Her Majesty's Government will continue their efforts to promote unconditional discussions which we regard as offering the only route to a negotiated peace in Vietnam.