Wind farm ban Bill attacked by MP

A Hull MP has attacked a Bill which would ban offshore wind farm production within 15 miles of the coast, describing it as very damaging.

Karl Turner was responding to Tory backbencher Christopher Chope who said building more offshore wind farms is a "manic proposal" and should be halted because they are propped up with taxpayer subsidies while their profits are funnelled overseas.

Mr Chope said it was important to have an industrial strategy that does not rely on "indiscriminate" taxpayer subsidies.

His Control of Offshore Wind Turbines Bill would ban the production of offshore wind farms within 15 miles of the English and Welsh coasts and end subsidies.

Mr Chope said he wanted to stop further developments like the Navitus Bay wind farm proposed near his Christchurch constituency.

He said: "This Bill ... would ensure such obscenities would not be able to be brought forward again in the future with all the uncertainty that generates for local people.

"Surely we are mad if we are intending to invest as a country tens of millions of pounds in subsidising a development which is going to have an adverse impact on a world heritage site at the same time as we are quite rightly saying the world heritage site that is Stonehenge needs to be protected by having an enormos tunnel built nearby in order to reduce the impact on that site.

"We are quite prepared to put subsidies into saving one world heritage site whilst at the same time are using taxpayer subsidies to wreck another one. It seems to me mad and I'm very sorry if that happens to be a Government policy."

Moving his Bill, Mr Chope said the Government was also providing subsidies to pave the way for Siemens and ABP to invest a total of £310 million in wind turbine production in Hull.

But Labour's MP for Kingston upon Hull East Karl Turner said the Bill would be very damaging for his constituents.

Intervening as Mr Chope opened the Bill's second reading, Mr Turner said: "(The Bill) is very damaging to East Yorkshire and my region of Hull.

"We've just attracted a £310 million investment, joint investment, from Siemens and ABP, an investment into my area which will absolutely change the prospects for people in the city and the wider region.

"I think it's particularly disappointing that this Bill would very clearly damage something which has not quite started yet, that's the point."

Mr Chope replied: "Surely it's important that we should have an industrial policy in this country which is based upon not having the need for taxpayer subsidies, indiscriminate taxpayer subsidy.

"What you are describing is a situation where because the Government is intent on this manic proposal to build so many offshore wind farms and because most of the technology is from overseas and almost all the profits from those wind farms go back overseas, the Government has decided that the only way it can try to mitigate the situation, and it's only a small amount of mitigation, the only way it can do that is by trying to put additional subsidies into supporting the manufacturing industry in places like the area you (describe)."

Labour's David Hanson (Delyn) said Mr Chope represented a narrow viewpoint.

He said: "I take the view that offshore, as well as onshore, wind energy plays a valuable role in helping us meeting our environmental targets in energy production.

"It is also a strong key for the manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom in the future.

"My part of the world in North Wales is a significant contributor to the UK offshore economy.

"I happen to think we could be, should be and are world leaders in offshore wind."