ENERGY Secretary Chris Huhne has refused to apologise to Tyneside workers whose jobs hang in the balance because of Government cuts.
Labour yesterday urged the Liberal Democrat Cabinet Minister to say sorry to workers at Carillion, formerly Eaga, based in Newcastle, whose jobs are threatened by the cutting of feed-in tariffs for solar power.
Mr Huhne also came under fire in the House of Commons over his department’s attempt to overturn a court judgment that ministers’ decisions were unlawful.
On Wednesday, three appeal judges unanimously upheld a High Court ruling that Mr Huhne lacks the power to introduce the controversial “retrospective” scheme – although the Government intends to fight on to the Supreme Court.
Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah said: “4,500 employees of Carillion, headquartered in my constituency, went into Christmas on notice of redundancy due to the arbitrary and clearly illegal changes to the solar feed-in tariffs.
“Now we all agree that tariffs need to be reviewed, but will the minister not help end the terrible uncertainty in which Carillion employees are living by accepting the High Court decision and taking the time to review the policy properly?”
The Energy Secretary insisted the industry would face a “substantial” cut in the number of installations if the Government accepted those costs from such a move.
“I merely point out as well that going forwards we have attempted to provide that certainty, precisely because we laid the order, making sure that the new rate will be available from the beginning of March,” said Mr Huhne.
Former Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock, who represents Lewisham Deptford, said: “Will he not now apologise to those whose plans have been ruined and whose jobs have been lost, and acknowledge that a review was provided for in the Labour Government’s legislation?”
Mr Huhne rejected those comments, saying that the need to “learn all the lessons” was not lost on the ministerial team – but that the conclusions of that process would not be to her liking.
Speaking later, Ms Onwurah hit out at the Energy Secretary’s response – saying companies had not been given enough time to redeploy staff and adapt to changes.
“There is clearly no understanding or empathy with the 4,500 Carillion employees or the people across the country who are going through this level of uncertainty. There wasn’t due process,” said the Labour MP.
The Energy Secretary also described £66,000 as “a few thousand” as he defended his decision to challenge the court ruling over solar subsidies after being confronted by North Tyneside Labour MP Mary Glindon in the Commons.
He blamed his predecessor, current Labour leader Ed Miliband, for the “mess”.
The Government’s legal fight has so far cost taxpayers £66,000 and Mrs Glindon said: “How much more public money do you intend to waste fighting the court ruling?”
Mr Huhne said: “Spending a few thousand pounds in order to save consumers £1.5bn, which is what would have happened if we had left this case to run.”
