Climate Change Bill [HL]

I am afraid that I do not feel able to go along with the Minister one bit. Here, I am drawing to the Committee’s attention the anomalies that we face in the Bill. We have given devolution to various national or sub-national authorities—however one wishes to put it—but, at the same time, this is currently a UK Bill. There is a possible way for the Government to get around that. If they can agree the policies and proposals at the same time as setting the budgets, then, when they come forward with the carbon budgets, the policies and proposals will be agreed ahead of time and all horse-trading will already have been done. The only other way to get round the problem is to turn this into an England and Wales Bill or an England, Wales and Northern Ireland Bill and leave Scotland out of it altogether. The objective that we are striving towards is that there should be a UK policy on climate change and that everyone will fit into it. We are not saying that they should do exactly what Westminster says; we are simply saying that there should be a requirement on the national authorities to co-operate. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 64 and 64A not moved.] Clause 11 agreed to. Clause 12 [Annual statement of UK emissions]: [Amendment No. 65 not moved.]