New Clause 15

Part of Climate Change Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:15 pm on 8 July 2008.

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Photo of Martin Horwood Martin Horwood Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) 10:15, 8 July 2008

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

The purpose behind the new clause is once again derived from the Environmental Audit Committee report, and in particular from its comments on the importance of the Committee on Climate Change in being able to provide

“challenge to, and public reporting on, Government forecasting and policy analysis.”

It seems extraordinary to set up that expert body, with enormous authority in the fields of climate science, economics and Government policy making, and to give it huge influence over British Government policy and the future shape of the British economy by being able to advise the Government on the overall targets for carbon budgets and carbon emissions by 2050, and then to deny that extraordinary body the right to comment and advise on the policies that will be required to get to those targets. That is somewhat equivalent to asking Einstein to say that E=mc2, but not allowing him to say how that was achieved. Earlier Government amendments have clouded the issue of whether policies and processes will be a subject for the Committee on Climate Change. Some of their amendments have taken out measures that were put in by our noble Friends in another place, and they have clouded the issue of whether the committee is simply an advisory body looking at a dry analysis, or a body that will be able to advise and comment on Government policy. I would welcome the Minister’s clarification on his latest reading of the current version of the Bill, in response to the new clause.