Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an independent resilience and adaptation commissioner to further hold public authorities to account on climate ada
Answer
The Climate Change Committee is an independent statutory body established under the Climate Change Act 2008. Its Adaptation Committee advises the Government on climate adaptation and reports to Parliament on progress in preparing for the impacts of climate change. The Government therefore has no plans to introduce an adaptation commissioner.
Verdict: AMBER (40/100)
The Government clearly said it has no plans to appoint an adaptation commissioner, so the core position is stated plainly. However, the reply does not explain why, and it does not assess the merits of such a role as the question asked. The parts of the answer that describe the existing Climate Change Committee's adaptation work are relevant context but are not explicitly linked to the decision. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for the reasoning and an assessment of the proposal.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is the department's assessment or view of the potential merits of introducing an independent resilience and adaptation commissioner to further hold public authorities to account on climate adaptation? | Partially Addressed | Direct | Statement 3 clearly states the Government has no plans for an adaptation commissioner, which is a concrete position. However, it gives no stated reason and does not assess the merits the question asks about. Statements 1 and 2 describe the existing Climate Change Committee's adaptation role, which implies a rationale (existing independent scrutiny) but never links it to the refusal. |