To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will increase the target for reducing UK carbon emissions to 80 per cent.; and if he will make a statement. (181344)

The Government will put this evidence to the independent, expert Committee on Climate Change and ask it to advise, as it begins to consider the first three five-year budgets on whether our own domestic target should be increased up to 80 per cent. The Committee is being established in shadow form so that, subject to parliamentary passage of the Bill, it would be able to provide this advice as soon as possible.