HC Deb 09 January 2002 vol 377 cc911-2W
Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on(a) matters discussed and (b) points agreed and disagreed in her meeting on 17 December with her Norwegian counterpart. [25165]

Margaret Beckett

We had a useful and friendly discussion of issues of mutual interest, including climate change, the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the North Sea Conference, which the Norwegians will chair in March. The Norwegian Minister raised the issue of technetium-99 discharges from Sellafield, but I was unable to comment for legal reasons in advance of the statutory decision which the Secretary of State for Health and I have to take on the Environment Agency's proposed decision.

The meeting was held in order to exchange views rather than to seek agreement on any specific points.