To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what provision he expects to make for pre-legislative scrutiny of the Climate Change Bill. (107488)

[holding answer 4 December 2006]: We are determined to promote the widest possible debate, in the Houses of Parliament and across the country, about the contents of the Climate Change Bill. This will ensure that all views are taken into consideration when the terms of the Bill are drafted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which officials represented the Government at the recent United Nations climate change talks in Nairobi; and what assessment he has made of the outcome of the talks. (106887)

The UK delegation to the twelfth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the second session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto protocol, in Nairobi, was led by the Secretary of State. It also included officials from DEFRA, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, the Scottish Executive and Her Majesty’s Treasury.

The conference took important steps forward in the battle against climate change. However, greater urgency and momentum need to be injected into the international negotiations to secure a global agreement that builds on the first Kyoto commitment period, which ends in 2012, and ensures there is no gap between commitment periods.

In addition, I refer the hon. Member to the statement by the Secretary of State on 21 November 2006, Official Report, columns 38-39WS.