I WAS interested to see that Richmond MP Rishi Sunak chose to highlight the Energy Bill last week (D&S Times, Jan 29).

He seems to think that the only form of power generation which has benefitted from a subsidy is onshore wind and that we should all be grateful to the Government for removing the subsidy early because our bills will fall as a result.

Apart from the fact that the Government’s own figures tell us that this early end to the renewable obligation will cost us each 30p, Mr Sunak seems to be ignoring the fact that our energy bills also subsidise fossil fuels by £6bn and nuclear decommissioning by £3bn. The £3bn subsidy for green energy, quoted by Mr Sunak, seems tiny in comparison especially as it was only going to be for one more year!

It might interest readers to know that the UK is alone among G7 countries to actually increase fossil fuel subsidies!

Mr Sunak’s enthusiasm for more oil and gas exploitation in the North Sea is surprising partly because of the huge cost of extracting the 24bn barrels he mentions but also because the enormous investment in fossil fuels required will be incompatible with the climate change targets agreed in Paris.

Readers in Malton might be a little suspicious that he didn’t sing the praises of fracking. It wasn’t mentioned at all when a few months ago it seemed to be an essential part of Government energy policy. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we now learn decisions on such developments are to be taken in Whitehall. This is ironic when Mr Sunak praises legislation doing the opposite for wind power!

A more enlightened government would support the reconfiguration of the oil and gas sector to develop renewables, protecting jobs and the environment in the long term. Of course it is terrible for people to lose jobs when industries close, but to put into reverse new industries which might become “beacons of growth and innovation” and drive investors overseas will be a damaging legacy for what claimed to be the greenest government ever!

I have just checked and at the moment (a weekday afternoon) wind is producing 14 per cent of our electricity requirements.

Sarah Grierson, Great Broughton