Hi,
    using an .aspx page - is it possible to use the xml component
    to store xml data within the html of the generated web page so
    that a jscript/vbscript client side function can access this
    'embedded' data later on ? Or am I completely losing the plot?

TIA
Chas.

Take a look at the concept of "Data Islands". I haven't used them but I hear about them on occasion.

http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_data_island.asp