Climate Change Bill [HL]

I say at the outset that I am more than happy—as I have said on previous clauses and this is no different—to go back and look at the way in which the reporting mechanism is set out in the Bill. I cannot accept particular amendments, but we want to get this as clear and precise as possible. We are happy to look at aspects of the amendments, particularly regarding the way in which the reporting mechanism works. Clause 27 in some ways gets to why we are setting up the Committee on Climate Change in the first place. We are asking the committee to provide the Government with independent advice on the level of the carbon budget to strengthen transparency and accountability on how to reduce emissions in the UK. The committee’s advice on the level of the carbon budget will be a key element in assisting the Secretary of State in making decisions on the level of each carbon budget. The committee will have to give advice that is fit for purpose to the Government, so the committee will have to make an assessment on the best trajectory to meet the 2020 and 2050 targets and give advice on budget levels that are consistent with that trajectory. However, Amendment No. 143 would require the committee to advise on whether the 2050 target will be met through a budget. As we discussed earlier in relation to Amendment No. 43 to Clause 8, the decision on the level of every carbon budget must be made with a view to meeting the targets in the Bill. So there is already a statutory requirement on the Government to set budgets in such a way that it leads to the long-term targets being met. But as I have said before, it is not possible for a single budget to deliver the target. We are not talking just about the budgets for 2018-22 or for 2048-52 but about all of the budgets in between as well. Therefore, Amendment No. 143 does not enhance the framework set out in the Bill. Amendment No. 145 would seem to ask the committee not only to provide its advice on budgets but to assess whether the Government were on track to meet them. Amendment No. 151 proposes an identical requirement through the committee’s annual progress report. We are not clear why the committee is being required to provide the assessment twice, possibly within six months. In terms of the committee’s advice under Clause 27, we see this as a focused task—the committee will be required to look across the economy in providing its advice on the level of carbon budgets. This will not be a simple matter, and we therefore think that under Clause 27 the committee should focus on advising on the most appropriate level of carbon budgets needed to achieve the long-term goals. Amendment No. 151 relates to the committee’s annual reporting function under Clause 28. We agree that, when carrying out this role, we should ensure that the committee has sufficient discretion to report on matters that it considers appropriately within its remit. We should not underestimate the strength of the existing reporting provisions in the Bill. The committee’s annual report to Parliament under Clause 28 is required to set out the committee’s views on the progress made towards meeting both the carbon budgets and the 2050 target. In writing its annual report, the committee will inevitably take the Government’s report under Clause 11 into account and form its own view on the proposals and policies that it contains. If the committee’s annual report to Parliament says that the UK is currently off-track, we would expect that the Government of the day would be under huge parliamentary and public pressure to say what they are going to do to get the UK back on track. We will also discuss the committee’s report under Clause 28 in greater detail under another group of amendments that we will come to shortly. As I indicated earlier, we are willing to look at ways of strengthening the reporting requirements in the Bill. We will consider the best way to do this before Report, taking account of the debate that we have just had on this group, including Amendment No. 151, and the debates to come. I hope that, with that assurance, the noble Lord will withdraw his amendment.