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Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for mentioning that. There have never been more than two references to climate in pre-Budget reports and Budgets in the past 10 years. In 1997, there was none, and there were only one or two every year until the appointment of my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) as Leader of the Opposition. Suddenly, in 2006, the Chancellor’s two major speeches had 16 mentions of climate between them. Suffice it to say that last week’s Budget speech alone contained 14 references to climate.