Climate Change Bill [HL]

It does help but I do not understand why it should not be on the face of the Bill. As I have said before, it is not clear from the Bill as it stands that the orders setting up the rollout, if that is the phrase we should be using, would not involve compulsion. A great deal of the Bill is all about the pilots and asking local authorities whether they wish to take part. If they do, they should come forward with schemes drawn up for their areas and the Government will choose five of them. But once it gets to the point where the reports come back to Parliament on the success or otherwise of these pilots, and the orders and the subordinate legislation for setting up a permanent system are introduced, we are not clear exactly what the parameters and structure of that permanent system will be. That is why there is a concern that the Bill as it stands might allow a Government to make the scheme compulsory, and it would be helpful to understand why the Bill makes that not possible. If an authority comes forward, will there be a menu or a series of different schemes? Is it anticipated that there will be one national scheme or will there be a whole series of things that can be done from which local authorities can choose? That is the point that the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, was making—I think it was the noble Lord, Lord Taylor—and it is absolutely crucial. Once a local authority has adopted a scheme, can it change it, amend it or opt out of it if it finds that the scheme is not working? None of these options is clear to me from reading the Bill as it stands. They might be very clear when we finally read the orders that may be brought forward in three years’ time, or whenever, after these pilots have taken place, but it will be too late then. It would be very helpful if the Minister could answer these questions so that we can understand how they relate to the Bill.