§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and other bodies regarding the process or content of discussions to dispose of the Brent Spar, as set out in the papers listed as Brent Spar papers 1 to 24, placed in the Library by his Department. [15650]
§ Mr. ClappisonSince my Department has no statutory powers to exercise in this field, it had no correspondence of the kind contained in the Brent Spar papers 1 to 24 placed in the Library by the Department of Trade and Industry, except that, as one of the UK co-ordinating points for the Oslo and Paris commissions, it received a 667W copy of the letter of 17 February 1995 from the secretariat of those commissions, which forms No. 18 of those papers.
§ Mr. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment at what stage and on what date his Department was first consulted by the Department of Trade and Industry about Shell's wish to dispose of the Brent Spar at sea; and if he will place in the Library copies of the correspondence between the two Departments on this matter. [15651]
§ Mr. ClappisonDiscussions were held between Departments at various levels and in various contexts. My Department was involved from at least February 1994. It is not the normal practice to publish material passing between Government Departments in the course of preparing advice for Ministers.