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Climate Change Bill [HL]

My noble friend indicated that he wants to see the Bill and the policy driven forward. We accept the representations of the committee on that point. If it is suggested that the Government would not take sufficient action, the Bill provides that shortly after setting a budget the Government will have to publish a programme setting out how it will be met. We have already made it clear that it will be laid before Parliament. The Government will be under an obligation to make regular annual reports on progress to Parliament and to the independent Committee on Climate Change. It will be abundantly clear to everyone interested in these issues—and it is difficult to think of a person in the land who would not be interested in them—whether the net UK carbon account is being reduced. The Government will be in the court of the nation. An independent committee will identify any deficiencies and Parliament will express its views on these matters. That is bound to be an enormous commitment by the Government to effect the necessary change. The noble Lord, Lord Crickhowell, was his usual modest self when presenting the amendment as one possible solution to what we all recognise is the difficult area of guaranteeing what has to be the result of effective action in many quarters. We are saying that we do not accept using the law and judicial review as mechanisms to solve the problem. As my noble friend said when these issues were previously discussed, we have taken on board the representations, which have been made again today, that we need to look at the provisions in the Bill for compliance.