Climate Change Bill [HL]

I like this amendment a lot. It takes us back to the earlier debate on the powers of the climate change committee—what I call the party and what the noble Lord referred to as the triangular relationship. If the committee has this kind of responsibility, it will focus the minds of the membership on the need to take realistic and real decisions for which they are accountable. I have another reason as well. Ministers in all Governments are very often fearful of taking very difficult decisions. It is just the way we are. Sometimes Members of Parliament—particularly in the other place—grumble in the Tea Room about a decision that has been taken by the Government. Sometimes they know the reason behind it. Sometimes—and I am talking across parties—they talk about the inadequacy of Ministers because they fear to take those great decisions. My noble friend Lord Rooker was very firm in the decisions that he took during the period when I was in the House of Commons on the Back Benches and he was a Minister. I hope I do not embarrass my noble friend when I say that he was quite exceptional in being very deliberate in the decisions that he took. I am fearful that Ministers might duck decisions. Therefore what we have here is a mechanism behind which they can hide and say: ““Not me, guv, but them””—because the committee will have to approve. And therefore Ministers—whatever they make as a recommendation— will have to have in mind what the views of the climate change committee are. If that is what is takes to give Ministers the bottle to make the big decisions then so be it and let the committee have this very important role.