Sugar plea over wind turbines

The Labour peer, who was the previous government's enterprise champion, claimed British industry had fallen behind "time and time again" and could do so again in the emerging low carbon technology industries.

In the next 20 years 100bn could be spent on wind turbines, and UK suppliers had to be supported to provide the technology and eventually export it, he claimed.

In a Lords debate on encouraging low carbon technology, the multi-millionaire peer said Ministers held the "ace card" and said: "No licences should be granted unless there is an undertaking that an agreed percentage of UK content and labour is used on the contract."

This would "force the hand" of foreign suppliers to set up in the UK, buy from UK subcontractors, build plants and pay for modification to British ports.

The turbine industry is poised to become a major new sector for Britain over the coming decade, with several enormous offshore wind farms planned off the east coast by 2020. Earlier this year the Yorkshire Post launched its Powering Yorkshire's Future campaign, pushing for the region to become a major manufacturing hub.