§ 21. Mr. Patrick Thompsonasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Government policy relating to the current situation in Afghanistan.
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweOnly when Soviet forces leave Afghanistan will the country be free to regain its status as a sovereign, independent and truly non-aligned state. We look to the Soviet Union to open the way to a settlement on the lines of successive United Nations resolutions by agreeing to a timetable for troop withdrawal; this is the key to peace.