You mean we are not

Lord Stoddart of Swindon asked a very reasonable question:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of the numbers of British troops fighting in Afghanistan, they are directly involved in peace talks between the Taliban, the United States and the Government of Afghanistan; and, if not, why not.

Lord Howell's minions in the FCO replied on behalf of HMG:

The UK has always supported an Afghan-led political process to help bring peace and stability to Afghanistan. At the start of the year, the Taliban issued a statement expressing a willingness to participate in a political office in Qatar. President Karzai recently publicly endorsed the idea of an office in Qatar. We are supporting the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to take this process forward.

I take it the answer is no, we are not and have no real way of making sure that we have any say in the matter. Why not, exactly?