Sir,

I was astonished to read that Philip Sellwood, the Chief Executive of the Energy Savings Trust, thought that the Government's Energy White Paper had attracted "merited applause" (Letters, 7th April). Quite apart from raising serious concerns about his critical faculties, it is surely inappropriate for the Chief Executive of an organisation, which receives nearly all of its annual £70 million income from the three central government departments that sponsored the White Paper, to act as a New Labour cheerleader in this way. He will point out that the second two paragraphs of his letter point out the actual inadequacy of current policy and therefore provide "balance".

If leaders of public bodies presage criticisms of the substance of Government policy with a kowtow to its presentation they had better expect to go on being disappointed in delivery. Unless of course this is all a set-up before Wednesday's budget, in which case the public's cynicism about the independence of public administration under Labour would be further reinforced.

Yours faithfully

CRISPIN BLUNT MP

Shadow Minister for Energy

House of Commons