Climate Change Bill [Lords]
10:30 am
Frank Cook (Stockton North, Labour)
Good morning. Before we begin, I should make one or two comments and preliminary announcements. I choose to foster an easygoing exchange of views and I would hate people to get frustrated with heat, so, it being the summer, members of the Committee may remove their jackets during Committee meetings. I would ask all members at all times to ensure that their mobile phones and pagers are turned off, or at least rigged for silent running during Committee meetings.
There is both a money resolution and a Ways and Means resolution with the Bill. Copies are available on the table. I remind members of the Committee that adequate notice ought to be given about amendments. As a general rule, my fellow Chairman and I do not intend to call starred amendments, including any that might be reached during an afternoon sitting of the Committee.
The Committee, as members have been informed several times, has been selected as a pilot for the use of laptops in the Room. I would like to make one or two points at this stage about their use. I have never seen a Committee start so much agog. We have had the room thronged with people since about 10 minutes to 10, and yet there is not a proliferation of laptops. I have to say that I am not displeased about that—you will see that I do not have one, although that is probably because I am too thick to use one.
Laptops may be used only by members of the Committee sitting within the body of the Committee, the Committee Clerks and, of course, Hansard. Members should ensure that all laptops have the sound muted—we do not want signals to be going off across the room. The Chair will not entertain points of order about the operation of laptops or the network. Such items must be retained for moments when the Committee is suspended, if I choose to suspend it. Finally, members are expected to use laptops responsibly—I should remind the Committee that we are here to give the legislative proposals line-by-line scrutiny. I would hope that all hon. Members—we are all honourable Members, I trust—will use the laptop in that venture, to further scrutiny and line-by-line examination.
The Committee will first be asked to consider the programme motion on the amendment paper. Debate is limited to half an hour. We will then proceed to a motion to report written evidence, which I hope that we can take formally. Without more ado, I call the Minister to move the programme motion.