Commentary on Sections National reports and programmes Section 59: Reporting on progress in connection with adaptation
257.This section places a duty on the Committee on Climate Change to report to Parliament on its assessment of the progress made towards the implementation of the objectives, proposals and policies in the Secretary of State’s adaptation programmes under section 58.
258.Subsection (1) sets out the basic duty, and provides that progress reports on adaptation should be contained in the reports on progress towards meeting carbon budgets and the 2050 target required by section 36.
259.Subsection (2) sets out the timing of the progress reports under this section. The first progress report is to be made in the second year after the Secretary of State lays his first adaptation programme under section 58. This means that if the first adaptation programme is laid before Parliament in 2012, the Committee’s first report on the progress made towards implementing must be laid before Parliament by 30th June 2014 (as required, for 2014, by section 36(4)). In accordance with section 37(4), the Secretary of State would be obliged to respond to that report by 15th October 2014.
260.Subsection (3) provides that subsequent progress reports are to be laid before Parliament every two years, unless the Secretary of State makes an order under subsection (4) to require annual progress reporting. Subsection (5) states that the negative resolution procedure (see section 91) applies to orders made under subsection (4).