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Greater London Authority Bill

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that explanation. Obviously the aim is the same, but the terminology varies. The Minister asked why we had specified methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs, PFCs and sulphur hexafluoride. They are the greenhouse gases listed in Annexe A of the Kyoto Protocol. We did not simply pluck them from the air; we were trying to tie in the provision with some of the international conventions, and so on. However, I recognise that we are, in effect, dealing with the Bill before we have a national policy with which to be consistent. As I mentioned earlier, the Select Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill is discussing these very issues this afternoon and deciding just what to include. I am sure that the debate on whether to include carbon dioxide alone or greenhouse gases in general will be particularly lively. It is very important to recognise that the whole climate change mitigation effort must include other gases beyond carbon dioxide. However, I accept that the Government’s amendments substantially recognise that advance, and although I would have preferred the simpler phrase ““low carbon””, I understand the Minister’s explanation of why they prefer their amendment, and I am quite happy to accept it.