§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any misgivings about the fact that two new pipelines to supply natural gas from the Tyumen Oblast in Russia to the rest of Europe are to be financed by Japan.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Baroness Denton of Wakefield)No. If the former Soviet Union is to rebuild its ailing oil and gas infrastructure and move towards free market principles then finance from a wide variety of sources and on an international scale will be necessary.