§ Mr. Dickensasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the numbers of United Kingdom personnel attached, for observer and liaison duties, with United States, Australia and South Vietnam forces engaged in the Vietnam war in each year from 1964 to the present, and the expenditure falling upon United Kingdom public funds as a result of this activity.
§ Mr. HealeyNone.
320W
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence why, in view of the fact that Great Britain does not supply weapons for use in the Vietnam war, Her Majesty's Government help to train combatants for this war in Malaysia.
§ Mr. HealeyI have nothing to add to the Answers I gave on 13th June, 1966, to my hon. Friend the Member for Feltham (Mr. Kerr) and on 29th November this year to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Winnick).—[Vol. 729, c. 1034; Vol. 755, c.117.]
§ Mr. Whitakerasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether, in order to make Her Majesty's Government's rôle as conciliator in the Vietnam war appear impartial, as well as being in fact impartial, he will now take steps to cease the training of and any other indirect help to the combatants.
§ Mr. HealeyNo. As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has said, this training, which is on a very limited scale, is not inconsistent or incompatible with our duty of co-Chairman. It has always been accepted that of the two co-Chairmen one represents generally a Western point of view and the other an Eastern point of view. The Soviet co-Chairman has supplied arms on a large scale for the fighting in Vietnam.