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Climate Change Bill [Lords]

I will not, because I have very little time. There have been some terrific contributions to the debate. My favourite has to be that of my right hon. Friend the Member for Penrith and The Border (David Maclean), who has been a parliamentary hero of mine since I first served under him in the Opposition Whips Office. His powerful defence of the rain forest, which he called the lungs of the earth, elevated him yet further in my eyes. My hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) reminded us that the issue of social justice is inseparable from climate change, and Darfur is an example of state instability as a result of dwindling national resources. In a real tour de force, my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) reminded us that the situation can be an opportunity, not a threat. He did much when in office to advance the agenda on the issue. The hon. Member for Morley and Rothwell (Colin Challen) demonstrated real expertise and reminded us of the immediate need for adaptation, particularly in relation to flood defences. My hon. Friend the Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo), the Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, spoke of the huge competitive advantage that would result from British leadership in changing to a low-carbon economy. As the EAC has made clear, we must not become preoccupied with the 2050 target. The focus should be on the 2020 near-term target. The right hon. Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley), who also has a strong record in this field, spoke of the need for the UK to provide leadership, and said that we should balance the need to drive change with realisation of the futility of action that simply drives energy-intensive industries into the developing world. It will not surprise my hon. Friend the Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) that I take issue with some of his comments. I did not recognise much of his analysis, which is not shared by the Front-Bench team, and I fundamentally disagree with his conclusions. The vast majority of the measures that we propose to tackle global warming would make us more energy efficient and less dependent on expensive foreign fossil fuels and are a good thing in themselves. My right hon. Friend the Member for Hitchin and Harpenden (Mr. Lilley) is a sceptic, but he, too, reminded us that we need to take into account concern for social justice and the effect of climate change on the world's most vulnerable. The right hon. Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) strongly supported the Bill but argued that we must enhance it further. I was worried but listened carefully when he said that the left hand in DEFRA does not know what the right hand is doing, and if it does, it cannot stop it. Coming from someone who has served in that Department—