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Climate Change Bill [HL]

I used to run the Met Office. We produced weather statistics and government Ministers would say that it was hot, cold or whatever, and quote the figures supplied by the Hadley Centre. The point was made earlier that the Government issue a statement based on data produced by a public service agency. The issue with this drafting is that Clause 12(2) does not state who actually produces the figures. It may be that with redrafting this subsection could state that the Committee on Climate Change should be responsible for emissions figures which will be quite complex and open to question. For example, UK removals is a very difficult calculation to make, depending on forestry, emissions from waste areas and so on. I imagine that the Government will take data from the Committee on Climate Change and perhaps other organisations and then make their statement. As for the notion that the Met Office provides what the Government say about the weather, that is not something that we normally do.