Climate Change Bill [HL]

I had not intended to intervene again, but I think that the recommendation of the noble Lord, Lord Puttnam, was soft and was not nearly tough enough. Supplementarity has been interpreted consistently by the European countries as meaning at least a half. That is where we are now. There is a general view that it must be a good deal tighter than that. I said that I do not think that we can decide on the exact percentage, but following what the noble Baroness, Lady Young, said earlier, we have got to give a clear steer to the climate change committee on this issue which cannot rest on the existing definition of supplementarity or the interpretation of it. It has to be tougher than that. I intervene only because, while I nearly always agree with my former chairman who chaired us admirably on the Joint Committee, for once he was not being tough enough. I would like to be a good deal tougher in giving our steer, however it is devised, so that the climate change committee, in coming to specific recommendations, understands perfectly that the international and the national issues must be taken into account, but the national issues must be a very substantial part of the contribution.