To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which representatives of his Department attended the Nerc-Quest workshop on climate change and uplands: science to inform adaptation, held in Bristol on 8-9 November. (167819)

It is my policy not to name officials. Two DEFRA scientists attended the Bristol meeting on 8-9 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who represented the United Kingdom at the 27th meeting of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, held in Valencia on 12 to 17 November; whether the Government submitted any papers to the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting. (167916)

Five officials from my Department represented the United Kingdom at the 27th meeting of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) held in Valencia on 12 to 17 November.

Comments from the UK government on the draft text of the IPCC Synthesis Report of the 4th Assessment Report were sent to the IPCC prior to the meeting as part of the IPCC’s consultation process.

The Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Synthesis Report was reviewed line by line and agreed by consensus by all governments to reflect the conclusion of the underlying 4th Assessment Report.

The report shows unequivocally that the climate is warming and that humans are largely responsible for recent climate change. Climate change will continue to grow and its impacts are projected to become increasingly severe over the coming century if we do not take urgent and sustained action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The report shows that technologies already exist to make such deep cuts in emissions and that this can be done at a modest cost.

The report is highly relevant and timely. It is a clear call for urgent international action. We hope it will be given full and detailed consideration next week in Bali, when formal negotiations will be launched to achieve a global agreement to tackle climate change by 2009.