Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the UK economy of a changing climate over the next 20 years; and if she will make a statement.

Defra has not undertaken a quantitative assessment of the economic impact of climate change for the UK.

The Government is committed to understanding and tackling the risks and opportunities of climate change for the UK. We will publish our second Climate Change Risk Assessment in January next year. The underpinning evidence report compiled by the Adaptation Sub-Committee to the Committee on Climate Change was published in July this year. The assessment of the urgency of climate risks includes consideration of the current and potential costs of impacts to the UK where that information exists.