Climate Change Bill [HL]

My Lords, we discussed similar amendments on Report, and I thank the noble Duke for bringing these back. However, rather like the earlier group of amendments moved by the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, I do not have much more to add before the Bill goes to the other place. As I have made as clear as I can, and if we understand the intention of these amendments correctly, nothing in the Bill would exclude what the noble Duke seeks to provide for. The Bill provides a framework approach. There is nothing in Schedule 2 to prevent the development of a trading scheme allowing people to opt in or to do anything that this group of amendments seeks to ensure. Obviously, decisions on issues such as this would need to be taken in the context of individual schemes if and when they are established under the Bill. As I noted on Report, the Government set up the voluntary UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which ran for four years from 2002. That was a bottom-up scheme of the kind mentioned by the noble Duke. It involved large and small organisations such as Ford, Tesco, the Natural History Museum and, indeed, Kirklees Council. The scheme delivered carbon savings well in excess of those anticipated, and was a valuable learning experience. The example demonstrates that we are willing to look at the issues raised by the noble Duke. As I said, however, we are in no position at this stage in the Bill’s progress to come back with a demonstrable government acceptance. No doubt these issues will be discussed in the other place. I apologise because I have repeated what I said on the previous occasion. I cannot take the matter any further at this point in the Bill.