12. Mr. Bob Brownasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what estimate he has received of the number of South Vietnamese made homeless during the recent North Vietnamese offensive; and what further steps Her Majesty's Government propose to take in order to relieve suffering there.
§ Mr. M. StewartThe South Vietnamese Government have told us that the number of homeless refugees resulting from the recent Communist offensive is over 674,000. We are considering sympathetically requests for further assistance made by the South Vietnamese Government since President Thieu's first appeal.
§ 23. Dr. David Kerrasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will now seek full ambassadorial representation with the Government of North Vietnam in Hanoi.
§ Mr. M. StewartNo.
44. Mr. Alan Lee Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, if he is now prepared to answer Questions on his exchanges with the Secretary-General of the United Nations concerning conversations with representatives of 2W North Vietnam, with a view to an ending of the war.
§ Mr. M. StewartI regret that what I know of satements by North Vietnamese representatives who met U Thant gives me no reason to think that they advanced the prospects of effective negotiations.
§ 48. Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what further details he has received, as co-Chairman of the Geneva Agreement, of the official proposals of the authorities in Hanoi to accept the mediation of the United Nations in order to secure a negotiated end of the war in Vietnam.
§ Mr. M. StewartNorth Vietnam has consistently rejected any suggestion that that United Nations should concern themselves with the affairs of Vietnam; and neither I nor my predecessor have received any proposals of the nature described in this Question.
§ 72. Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has considered the United States Defense Department Report, details of which have been sent to him, that defoliation operations last year in North Vietnam are likely to lower the potential productive capacity of the entire environment; and if he will dissociate Her Majesty's Government from this action.
§ Mr. M. StewartI am not aware of any defoliation operations in North Vietnam. I am aware, however, that concern has been expressed at the effects of the use of defoliants in South Vietnam.
§ 75. Mr. Shinwellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will propose to the Secretary General of the United Nations that a direct approach should be made to the Governments of the United States of America and North Vietnam asking for a complete cease fire for a period of one week during which the United Nations will provide all facilities for initiating negotiations.
§ Mr. M. StewartThe Secretary General of the United Nations has been in direct contact with the Governments of the United States of America and North 3W Vietnam very recently. He has therefore had, and I believe still has, the opportunity to explore with both sides all the possibilities of stopping the fighting on a basis acceptable to all concerned.
§ 79. Dr. John Dunwoodyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in view of the number of cases of bubonic plague occurring in South Vietnam and the resulting dangers to other countries, what actions he intends to take to provide additional medical assistance and to bring the question of plague to South-East Asia before the appropriate international organisations.
§ Mr. M. StewartDuring February we supplied 51,000 units of plague vaccine to Vietnam, as part of our emergency aid programme. We have supplied DDT and streptotriad tablets which I understand are also used in preventing the spread of bubonic plague. Our Embassy in Saigon have asked the Vietnamese Ministry of Health whether more plague vaccine is needed and have been told that it is not. The World Health Organisations is already aware of the situation.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will publish as a White Paper all reports of the International Control Commission in Vietnam made during 1966 and 1967.
§ Mr. M. StewartThe International Control Commission in Vietnam sent one report to the Co-Chairmen during 1966 and 1967. This concerned the death of an Indian member of the Commission during the incident in Hanoi on 17th November, 1967 about which my predecessor answered Questions on 11th December and 22nd January. There has been no decision by the Co-Chairmen to publish this report.—[Vol. 756, c.24, Vol. 757, c. 9–10.]