10/06/2012 Sunday Politics South West

In the South West, the wind farm opponents hoping for less public

money for turbines. And bad news for Nick Clegg as the

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1711 seconds

Hello and welcome to the Sunday politics in the South West. Coming

up in the next 20 minutes. It has been blowing a elite this

week, and it is blowing in the wind that Tobin subsidies could be

slashed. -- blowing a relief. -- power by no subsidies. Here with me

now, is Karl Wallace, and still firmly in the Yellow Coroner, Tory

MP Adrian Sanders. -- the yellow corner. Let's begin with family

matters. Research published last week suggested one in five Liberal-

Democrat members have left the party in the past year. Why are

people will drink with their feet? people will drink with their feet?

Basically because of the leadership. We're seeing Nick Clegg at the

moment making some very poor moment making some very poor

decisions. Students tuition fees, for one, not supporting the NHS is

another. I have people coming up to me and saying, we will not support

the Liberal Democrats and the again. As a father of five as well as

being a nurse, I felt I had to do something, and the best way for me

was too much with my feet. It rain, it is fair to say you take issue

with the leadership on all kinds of policy issues. Why do you think it

is still better to stay inside the party fighting what some may say it

would be a hopeless cause? You do not change it by leaving the room.

Decisions are made by those who turn up. The drop in membership is

nothing unusual for a party, six years ago there was a study that

showed the Labour party was losing one member of every 20 minutes. If

that had continued, Carl would be the only member of the party. --

Karl Wallace. He we looked at the specific figures. In the south-east,

apparently membership is down 60% since 2009. That is really bad news,

isn't it? I think it is more likely to happen in a seat we knew there

is a member of Parliament. But, things will pick up, in my own

constituency we saw a drop in membership and the fresh deer, but

at the end of this year we may be in surplus, which is remarkable. --

in the first year. What we have to get across is the reason why we are

in the coalition, which I think most people understand when they

look at the rest of Europe, and do things we have brought for our area.

The discount on broadband charges, a bypass we have been waiting 50

years for. By Clegg was in Cornwall a few weeks ago and this is what he

had to say. There are some people who like their politics completely

pure and tribal and prefer to have called -- politicians in opposing

corners. I have never been like that. I have always believed in

pluralism, in reaching across party lines to do the right thing for the

country are a whole. The three essentially saying to people like

you, I am comfortable in this centre-rate relationship. People

like you are wrong, you are dinosaurs, you are tribal. That is

what he is trying to save. Unfortunately, the Liberals are now

seen as small Conservatives -- as Conservatives with a small sea. --

c. Labour are getting more members. Who was at that started the

privatisation of the health service? It was Labour. Who

introduced tuition fees? It was Labour. Labour is as right wing as

anything this Government has been doing. I am sure that Labour has

made errors in the past, but you're getting a new generation coming

through who are supporting Labour. I endure part of that new

generation of politicians, Karl. Now, onto wind. You may remember

David Cameron's catchy vote blue, go green slogans. It was all part

of a mission to modernise the Tories. But how green are at his

credentials in Government? -- how green are his credentials in

Government? He has already strangling their growing solar

industry, and now at the same could be said for the wind farm industry.

This South West is said to be one of the windiest places in Europe,

no wonder Cornwall was host to the UK's Commercial went to a bang. But

wind farms have always been controversial. - my first

commercial wind tubing. That he is part of a new group set

up to fight the growth of wind turbines in Cornwall. At the moment

in Cornwall alone, he says more than 400 applications are being

considered, and there is no wonder when you do the maths. The script

says that for a moderate to a bank the feeding tariff rate is 18.8

pence per kilowatt hour. Plus another 3p if it is exported to the

National Grid. That depends on how much wind there is, but on an

average level, disturbing that would make just over �207,000 per

year. -- this car buying. Taking into a new -- account annual cost

and a minimum life of 20 years, the estimated total profit is a

whopping �3 million. Now those figures could be faults -- slashed

by 25%. We think that is good. Firstly, it will raise awareness

for the public of the sort of profits being made. There are

hundreds of thousands of pounds to be made each year. Yet, the actual

impact of them on Co2 emissions, we would argue, is extremely small.

but those in the renewable energy industry are seeing a 25% cut could

be disastrous. A would be stunned, quite frankly. It is difficult to

believe the Government would be prepared to make such a serious

mistake on impacting the viability of onshore wind farms and the

damaging consequences that would have for the UK. Ofgem says

renewable energy puts the average household energy Bill up by �100

per year. Not popular with punters, and politicians are not happy,

either. In February, five of the region's MPs added their names to a

letter calling on the Government to make a dramatic cut to the

subsidies given to onshore wind. But is this a crowd pleaser? One

enthusiast backs a senior Conservative idea of bigger

community bribes. I don't think that is the right word, but I think

more benefits need to go to communities to build this --

political support that keeps tariffs in place. That is why in

organisations such as community for renewables, the idea of recycling

profits back into communities is more important. The emphasis needs

to move towards that. Consultation has already taken place between the

Government and when farm companies on cuts to subsidies, but that was

for 10%, something the industry says it could cope with. 25% is

different, and if that happens they will be hoping for another of the

Chancellor's recent U-turns. We're joined now from Exeter by the

Conservative MP for Tiverton and Homerton. He is one of the MPs who

would like to seek subsidies slashed. Neil Parish, if you get

your wish it is another kick for this claim this is the greenest

Government ever? I don't think so, there is only so much money to

spend on green energy, and is it right to subsidise onshore wind

farms with so much money? In the end, the consumer has to pay for it.

We have Hydro-Electric schemes and others, and we can look again at

some of the solar power, because the price of panels has come down

now, they are more effective. It is making sure we deliver green energy

but at a cost that is affordable. Wind farms do not deliver power all

the time. He were not one of the MPs who are rumoured to have --

rumoured to exist or that all this vote blue, go green business is a

lot of non-Conservative nonsense, basically?

I think that green energy is essential, because I also believe

you have to have a nuclear power, as well. I believe and a whole

basket of energy, and I think that wind turbines on land are being

over subsidised and the poorer consumers will still have to pay

the bills. I think we have to be very careful how we spend

consumers' money. A Adrian, this is one of these issues that is a

litmus test of the coalition. The Liberal Democrats are very keen on

wind power, and the Conservatives are trying to stitch them up.

have a programme for Government which makes it clear we want to be

the greenest Government ever. You cannot do that unless you are

putting more resources into alternatives. Whether you focus at

all on wind or look at it geothermal, solar, tidal, all the

other possibilities, I will possibly be on the same side. What

I certainly don't want to see is more nuclear power. But think it is

either a nuclear or wind or the likes call-out. Labour is pretty

keen on wind, but a lot of people in Dorset cannot stand it. The us

is a very controversial area. In Dorset 85% of the land is a media

of an outstanding natural beauty. - - is an area of outstanding natural

beauty. There are proposed wind farms going forward between

Portland and the Isle of Wight, which may be between 203 hundred

wind turbines. If these proposed subsidies are cut, the company who

are looking at this may pull out or may reduce their project. That

would be catastrophic for some people in the industry. Absolutely.

The Government are missing a trick here, though. They should be

encouraging county councils and working as a co-operative to form

this. When farm companies were really 51 -- were really councils

that came together, so all that money is going to them.

umbrella body that represents wave power and wind power says that, to

meet the target we need to meet by 2020, onshore wind will not do it.

Bader and thinks all, the Bristol Channel has the second-highest rise

and fall in the world, we can use the tidal power there. We will have

to be new -- to be using more renewables. We will need a mix of

energies, and we will keep them running without having too much

wind power. From wind to the topic of old bags. We are probably all

aware of the damage discarded plastic bags can do to the

environment, and we are all used to being asked if we want or need one

would do when we go to the supermarket. -- want or need one

when we go. Now the figure has of - - seems to be rising again, and

some are asking the Government to intervene to bring it down. Our

correspondent is visiting the town which tried to bang - but tried to

ban plastic bags a few years ago. By years ago, this town became

famous for banning plastic bags. A film by a local camera woman

highlighted the damage they can cause and encouraged traders to

back the campaign. After a decade on, they say it is still going

strong. When we started, I was probably issuing 200 plastic bags

and probably 300 plastic counter bags every day. Now I am probably

selling - we charged 10p for the corn starch once, probably one or

two a most -- at most. Retailers were warned they would be

forced to introduce their own schemes to cut down on usage. Many

big retailers now charge for their plastic bags, but recently there

has been a 5% rise in the number of plastic bags taken from shops,

leading for calls from the Government -- for the Government to

do more. A does the Government recognise that the success of

taxation schemes in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Wales, which

have resulted in a 90% drop in plastic bags and raised revenue to

help deal with the environmental problems caused by these icons of a

throwaway society... But the Government says it is waiting to

see how well taxation schemes work elsewhere before looking at any

changes. There has been a voluntary scheme, as I am sure my noble

friend knows, in this country which has reduced the use of single-use

bags by some 45% across the UK. The first evidence of how the Welsh

scheme, which started on the 1st October last year, the first

evidence of that will come out imminently... The plastics industry

points to recent Government research when arguing against

taxation. A study has found that because of the amount of carbon

used in manufacturing and transporting cotton bags, one would

have to be used 131 times before it was a better option than a standard

plastic carrier. Any measure that people have to be

looking at is not trying to remove a product that has a low

environmental impact, but to lessen its environmental impact further by

eight further encouraging the re- use, recycling of bikes. Critic Sir

not convinced by the report. According bike is not likely to

kill anything. A plastic bag almost certainly will. -- a cotton bag. If

they had taken that into account, as well as the pure concept of

carbon Footprint, I think they will probably come to a markedly

different conclusion. Next month, the latest official figures on

plastic bag used will be published. If it emerges more people are

failing to use them, the Government could face further pressure to

intervene. Adrian, should the Government be

more proactive in this? 6.3 billion bags are used in this

country and they have a lifespan of 1,000 years. There are difficult to

get you read of, and anything that can be done to get rid of our use

of plastic bags... Government intervention?

Bid does require Government support. Where there have been successful

supermarket trials encouraging people to be used plastic bags, the

Government has to do a bit more to get them to do that more regularly.

Baggage usage goes down when the supermarkets have a campaign, but

the creep back up again. Karl, it is the case that a lot of

supermarkets ask you whether you want one or not. If you walk out --

if you say yes, you walk out with six carrier bags. A absolutely. I

agree with the principle Adrian has been speaking about, and it is

phenomenal when you think about how many a bags are out there. The

reception coming back about Wales is that it has dropped by 86% by

implementing that charge. That has to be a good thing, and also when

we charged 5p per bag on the 6.4 million plastic bags out there, --

if we charged, it would raise millions of pounds. That money

could be used for appropriate environment will usage. It has to

be a good thing. The clock is ticking, but we have to make time

for our regular round-up of the Rain was not the only thing to

dampen their Jubilee celebrations. Volunteer stewards from Plymouth on

a Government work-experience scheme were forced to sleep rough under

London Bridge. We got underneath London Bridge and got told we were

staying there for the night. It was horrendous. I can't believe they

did it to us, really. It was horrible. Devon and Cornwall police

say they will not delete DNA profiles of innocent people until

the Government tells them to. The controversy over Cornwall's

incinerator continues. There is anger that the taxpayer is now

fitting the Bill for the developer's legal fees.

The new Enterprise Plan for Newquay airport and is closer after �5

billion is invested. Tens of 1,000 pounds -- tens of

thousands of pounds of military equipment has been stolen from MoD

bases. Be a need to crack down on this and

say to people, if you call round stealing stuff, you are going to be

Karl, this business of the Government Stuart -- stewards on a

Government work-experience scheme, it is pretty poor stuff, isn't it?

It is basic exploitation. We have de regularisation of some of the

poorest workers in the South West, who are working for nothing. This

organisation has a duty of care, and under its remit the Government

has a duty of care to look after these people. I would say, Lord

Prescott, push it and let's have an inquiry on this. John Prescott was

making the point that this company will be providing the same service

during the Olympics. He was saying does this kind of thing question

their suitability to do that again? Per haps it does, but it is not in

the Government's interest for this scheme to fail. It is offering

people, when it works properly, good experience, new skills,

helping to -- helping them to get back into the labour market. The

Government has to firm up on this and make sure people are working