Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what executive authority the President of the 26th Conference of the Parties, UN Climate Conference will have over staff within the his Department that are working on climate diplomacy.

The British Government are aware of the need for strong and coordinated senior ministerial governance on COP26. The Prime Minister will chair a new Cabinet Committee on Climate Change attended by the Foreign Secretary. The COP President will report to the Prime Minister and will be based in the Cabinet Office, working closely with the newly established COP unit. We anticipate appointments being made to this unit from across Whitehall Departments.