NOTTINGHAM South MP Alan Simpson, a Labour rebel, has spoken in favour of the Government's new energy policy.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband announced Britain will introduce tariffs which guarantee producers of renewable energy an above-market price for power they sell back to the National Grid.

Mr Simpson, who has spoken about such tariffs in the House of Commons, said: "Ed Miliband is capable of making a visionary step forward.

"Elsewhere in Europe, tariffs are being used to promote whole-city renewable programmes – for gas and heat as well as electricity.

"Lobbying by the big energy companies has sought to close this option off for Britain.

"The announcement acknowledges the direction in which energy policy must travel. Only the scale of ambition needs to be widened."