§ 49. Mr. Ron Brownasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about relations with Afghanistan.
§ 52. Mr. Sumbergasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for East-West relations of the continuing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
§ Mr. EggarThe Soviet occupation of Afghanistan has caused tens of thousands of deaths and driven 5 million refugees to leave their country. We regard Soviet willingness to make the necessary decisions to end the occupation as an important test of their commitment to "new thinking" and better international relations.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the British chargé 770W d'affaires in Kabul was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 12 July; what was said by the Afghanistan Government; what action was taken; and on how many occasions since the chargé d'affaires has been summoned.
§ Mr. EggarDiplomatic exchanges are normally confidential. However,Pravda and the Kabul New Times on 14 July published accounts of a note of 12 July from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul to the British chargé d'affaires, which he had declined to accept.