Climate Change Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 18: 18: Clause 3, page 2, line 34, at end insert— ““( ) The Secretary of State must publish the advice of the Committee on Climate Change not later than one calendar month after receiving it.”” The noble Duke said: I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 42, 45, 98, 104 and 113. The Committee on Climate Change is intended to be the principal advisory body guiding the Government through a situation that is increasingly seen as critical to the survival of both the environment and mankind. It is quite reasonable that national authorities will require some time to consider that advice. It is, however, also quite reasonable that the Secretary of State should publish the advice given on aspects pivotal to the overall strategy. Publication means that both parties will present their cases aware that the work they do is open to inspection by all. This is particularly important in circumstances where other national authorities fail to make representations within the time limit set. The wording of the clause implies that the Government have some idea that other national authorities may not respond in time. Will the Minister explain why, in a matter so important as the alteration of either the baseline year or the 2050 target, a national authority might not make representations even if only to give its approval with reasons? Given that there may be a national authority that does not respond in time, the affirmative resolution procedure surely demands that Members of both Houses are as fully briefed as possible. We do not believe that this will be accomplished if the advice of the committee remains a matter solely for the Secretary of State and the other national authorities. Amendment No. 42 concerns setting or amending target percentages. Section 3 relates to amending the baseline year or the 2050 targets. The words used there, with the exception of specific section references, are repeated here. It is our opinion that amending the baseline or the end object is slightly more important than the intermediate targets. In both cases, however, we feel that the advice given by the Committee on Climate Change should be made public. Orders under Clauses 5 or 6 will be subject to affirmative procedure. For that to be effective the Members of both Houses should be in possession of as much information as possible. In order to enrich the debate they should also be in possession of the data, experience and opinion given by the many experts who take such care, in any field of endeavour, to inform their parliamentary representatives of all related matters. In the case of carbon targets the advice of the Committee on Climate Change will doubtless summarise scientific knowledge and practical experience in many related fields. That distillation must be available to us and to the public in general and it must be made available formally in order to avoid the distasteful business of leaks. This is serious business we are about and we must ensure that it is conducted carefully, with dignity and in a manner that generates confidence rather than ridicule. The other amendments in this group cover similar aspects of the Bill: that is, Clause 9 on consultation on carbon budgets; Clause 18 on alteration of budgetary periods; Clause 19 on targeted greenhouse gases; and Clause 23 on the procedure for regulations. I beg to move.