Parliamentary Weekly News

The Joint Committee on the Draft Climate Change Bill
On Tuesday and Wednesday Oral evidence was given to the committee from major energy companies, airlines, The Royal Society, NGOs, the Californian Environmental Protection Agency, Malcolm Wicks MP, Minister of State for Science and Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry, Gillian Merron MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport, among others.

House of Commons questions
Chris Hune MP asked a written question: how many and what percentage of (a) priority habitats and (b) priority species under the Biodiversity Action Plan are decreasing; and which habitats and species are involved. Bary Gardiner MP responded with the latest figures from 2005, the next figures will be available in 2009.

House of Lords debate
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer spoke in a debate on UK membership in the EU, about the importance of environmental policy in the EU. Over 60 per cent of European directives concern environmental protection and improvement. She said that EU members now recognise that environmental concerns such as biodiversity and climate change, cross national boundaries and can be addressed more effectively colllectively, through the EU.