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Climate Change Bill [HL]

We on these Benches support this amendment. As we have been saying, the committee should be genuinely independent. This process of approval by the national authorities of the chief executive diminishes its independence. Our motivation for having an independent committee is twofold. Not only does it ensure that the committee can make its decisions without regard to political expediency—and I use the word ““expediency”” again—but it is essential that the committee does not even appear to be making decisions that could be interpreted as political manoeuvres. The second reason alone should be enough to remove the provision for national authority approval. It should not appear that this choice was made in such a way that it would be politically palatable. The choice should be made resoundingly on the merits of the person for the job.