Written question asked by Simon Thomas (Plaid Cymru) on Wednesday, 23 February 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 24 March 2005. It was answered by Douglas Alexander (Labour) on Thursday, 24 March 2005 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessments of alternative anti-corrosion systems were requested by the Export Credit Guarantee Department prior to the selection of SPC 2888 for the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan pipeline.

Answer: Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessments of alternative anti- corrosion systems were requested by the Export Credits Guarantee Department prior to the selection of SPC 2888 for the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. [218557] Mr. Alexander: None. ECGD and the other members of the lender group receive advice from independent consultants on the technical aspects of the project. The role of the independent consultants was not to re- design the project, nor to seek alternatives, but to confirm that aspects of the pipeline, including SPC 2888, were fit for purpose. As it was content that this was the case, it was not obliged to request assessments of alternatives.

Secondary information