§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement on the conflict in the Gulf.
§ The Prime MinisterI refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made earlier today.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister at what times on 22 February Her Majesty's Government first obtained the text of(a) the first Soviet plan and (b) the revised Soviet plan for Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait; and from what source this text was obtained.
§ The Prime MinisterIn the evening of 18 February I received a personal message from President Gorbachev in which he set out the proposals he had put to the Iraqis. Details of the revised plan were received in the morning of 22 February from Moscow; the Soviet Government put it to the United Nations Security Council in the morning—New York time—of 23 February.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister what communications he or his officials had with his counterparts in member states of the allied coalition in the Gulf on 22 February; and what matters were discussed.
§ The Prime MinisterWe had extensive consultations on 22 February with partners in the allied coalition, and with the Soviet Union, predominantly on the terms under which Iraq must withdraw from Kuwait and comply with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister what consideration was given to the effects of the damage done to bridges and roads in Kuwait and in southern Iraq by the allied bombing sorties when the time period for Iraqi military withdrawal from Kuwait was set on 22 February.
§ The Prime MinisterThe allied deadline took account of circumstances at the time and was intended to ensure that Iraq ended its occupation of Kuwait in the shortest possible time.