Benn accused over climate change interview

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn was today accused of insulting the Commons by giving a radio interview this morning on the content of his climate change statement.

Commons Leader Harriet Harman pledged to look at the transcript of the minister's interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, which he gave hours before his statement to MPs on the UK Climate Projections 2009 study.

Tory former Cabinet minister Peter Lilley said it was "deplorable" that the BBC had access to the document before MPs did.

Ms Harman said it was an "important principle" that MPs, rather than journalists, should be able to first question a minister about major documents.

During exchanges on upcoming business, Mr Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden) said: "What really worries me is that it's clear the BBC had access to a briefing on the substance of the document but Members of this House will have to face it blind when the Secretary of State makes his statement.

"Could we establish or debate whether in future when ministers insult the House by giving interviews outside, they release the documents to which they're referring so all of us may see it in advance of the statement?"

This would improve the scrutiny of documents and the calibre of debate, he said.

Ms Harman replied: "It is a very important principle that the first people who get the chance to question a minister about a substantive policy statement ought to be Members of this House not journalists.

"I will therefore look into and get a transcript of the Today programme interview and also look at the content of the statement."

Mr Benn told Radio 4 there was no doubt that the climate was heating up but efforts to reduce emissions would affect long-term outcomes.

He said climate change was "going to come anyway" with hotter summers, wetter winters and rising sea levels over the next 20 to 30 years due to emissions already released.