To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contact he has had with (a) the Norwegian Government and (b) the British Geological Survey about the disposal of carbon dioxide in the Sleipneir field. [40449]

The UK has received information on the Sleipner project from Statoil of Norway via an international agreement on greenhouse gases research under the auspices of the International Energy Agency. Officials from my Department have met representatives from the British Geological Survey to discuss their research on the underground disposal of carbon dioxide.