§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will place in the Library copies of correspondence her Department has received in the last six months from the European Commission concerning the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive as it affects the offshore oil and gas industry. [50633]
§ Mr. BattleThe correspondence referred to is regarded as confidential by both the Commission and the Department. It forms part of a negotiation over complex 1117W issues, and it may harm the chances of reaching a satisfactory outcome to the negotiations if the position of either party is made public.