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Climate Change Bill [HL]

My noble friend may be underestimating the significance and power of the committee. While it is an advisory body, it will be the custodian of the nation in terms of the effectiveness of government policies and others in achieving the reduction in carbon count and therefore will have an immensely powerful role to play. Therefore, a Government who are effectively being arraigned before Parliament by the committee for having failed to run an economy that met the identified targets would be subject to severe sanctions. We are prepared to look at extending sanctions in addition to the powerful provisions that are already in the Bill. However, the Government cannot accept the particular strategy outlined in the noble Lord’s amendment for the reasons that I have identified.