To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 483W, on “Natural Gas: Storage”, what the minimum amount of gas in storage over the winter is required under the safety monitor system. (294494)

[holding answer 20 October 2009]: In the Winter Outlook Report 2009-10 National Grid’s preliminary assessment of storage requirements for Safety Monitors this winter is 100 million cubic metres (mcm) of storage space and 60 mcm/d of storage deliverability. National Grid may revise this assessment during the course of the winter if appropriate.