§ 42. Sir Anthony Royleasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will link a requirement for the withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from Laos, with the condition he has proposed for Cambodia; if he will estimate the numbers of North Vietnamese troops stationed in Laos; how this figure compares with the figure in 1980 and 1981; how many Lao refugees there are in Thailand under United Nations supervision and what proportion of the total number of refugees this represents; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Laos.
§ Mr. RifkindThe Government support the proposals for a settlement of the Cambodian problem which have been put forward by the ASEAN countries and endorsed by the United Nations General Assemply. These proposals do not include any conditions relating directly to Laos, though it is difficult to see how there can be lasting peace in the area while Vietnam finds it necessary to maintain substantial numbers of troops in neighbouring countries. At least 50,000 Vietnamese troops have been stationed in Laos for several years. Out of an overall total of about 225,000 refugees in Thailand, 87,000 are from Laos. We maintain diplomatic relations with the Government of Laos, as do a number of Western and ASEAN Countries.