Climate Change Bill [HL]

The noble Earl, Lord Ferrers, disparaged as ““bureaucracy”” what I had said about the need for a committee with a totally different function from the Committee on Climate Change. When my noble friend the Minister referred to the functions of the committee, including those referred to in Clause 10, they were totally different. Moreover, as the noble Baroness has raised the matter, Schedule 1 does not refer to any representatives of the sort of people—the hearts and minds—who need to be convinced. This is a job of a totally different character from the semi-technical job of the Committee on Climate Change. I have nothing to withdraw from what I said about the remarks of the noble Earl, Lord Ferrers. I hope that before Report my noble friends in the Government will agree that something needs to be included in the Bill. I said that I would be happy to discuss this further, because there could be a great failure. Mark my words: it will be seen to be a foolish and short-sighted decision in future years if no opportunity is taken to put on the face of the Bill the whole challenge of the ownership of this process by members of civil society, industry, commerce and workers’ representatives. On that basis, I look forward to the response in writing from my noble friends and will decide how far I will press the amendment on Report. At the present time, I feel that I will need to press it. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 50 agreed to.