§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with US officials about the ratification of the Kyoto treaty. [51611]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 24 April 2002]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State discussed ratification of the Kyoto protocol with several US officials during a visit to the US on 10–12 April. She updated them on the progress made by the UK and our EU partners on ratification of the protocol. The UK continues to urge the US to participate fully in international action to tackle climate change on the grounds that this is necessary to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that the cost for developed countries of implementing the Kyoto protocol will only be between 0.1 per cent. and 1.1 per cent. of GDP in 2010.