Climate Change Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 225A: 225A: Clause 63, page 29, line 11, leave out ““one or more pilot areas”” and insert ““all the pilot areas that are in operation”” The noble Lord said: My Lords, in moving Amendment No. 225A, I shall also speak to Amendment No. 226A in the same group. I will not spend much time on Amendment No. 225A, which would require all the pilots to run for the same time and end at the same time. We have discussed this today. It is clear that the Government do not agree but envisage a series of pilots, perhaps of different lengths and perhaps starting and finishing at different times. My view is that this is messy and will lead to problems, but I will not pursue this further today. Amendment No. 226A would require at least three months to elapse following the laying of reports—this would probably apply to interim reports as well—before a scheme was rolled out. That would allow sufficient debate inside and outside Parliament. It is a fairly simple point. We do not want reports, whether interim or final, to be produced on pilots, or rollouts to appear very quickly without adequate thought and time for discussion. I think, from what the Minister has already said today, that I have had satisfactory assurances in principle on this matter, but I would be grateful for them again now. I beg to move.