HALL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST 'ECO GHETTOS'

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 15th Sep 2008

Fiona Hall, Euro-MP for the North East today took the centre stage in a debate on Eco Towns at the Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth.

The party re-affirmed their position opposing the Government's eco town policy - which includes free standing eco-towns and new settlements in greenbelts.

Fiona warned conference that rather than building new 'eco ghettos' spread across the country, the Government must make all UK homes energy efficient and sustainable as swiftly as possible - especially in the current energy crisis.

Speaking at the conference Fiona said, "Labour's obsession with eco towns is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of families struggling with spiralling fuel bills because their homes are leaking energy.

"You don't need an eco town to insist on high energy efficiency standards and it is wrong to suggest that a line can be drawn between eco towns on the one hand, and everybody else on the other hand, as far as adopting good energy practice goes.

"The government may well plan for more eco towns, but the better choice would be an investment in sustainability for all buildings, old and new, to really slash our CO2 emissions."