Energy and Climate Change and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

I could not agree more with the Secretary of State when he says that we need to have confidence in the science. Does he therefore agree with the remarks of George Monbiot in The Guardian today? He says:""The emails extracted…from the climatic research unit at the University of East Anglia could scarcely be more damaging…There appears to be evidence here of attempts to prevent scientific data from being released, and even to destroy material that was subject to a freedom of information request.""Worse still, some of the emails suggest efforts to prevent the publication of work by climate sceptics, or to keep it out of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change."" He concludes:""I believe that the head of the unit, Phil Jones, should now resign. Some of the data discussed in the emails should be re-analysed."" Will the right hon. Gentleman comment on that?