To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2011, Official Report, column 438W, on energy: EU action, what discussions he has had with his Icelandic counterpart on proposals for an electricity cable between Iceland and Great Britain.

I have not met the Icelandic Minister but my officials have had discussions with Icelandic power companies about the possibility of building an electricity interconnector between Iceland and Great Britain. At the Prime Minister's UK-Nordic-Baltic summit in January this year, which was attended by the Icelandic Prime Minister, it was agreed that the countries concerned should cooperate in areas of mutual interest, including ways of accelerating the low-carbon transition. This is an example of a project which could be of benefit to both the UK and Iceland. However, there are a number of regulatory, technical, legal and commercial issues which would need to be explored before any decision can be made by any potential developers on the viability of such a project. We will be taking forward any legal and regulatory issues which fall to Government with the appropriate Icelandic parties.