There’s a bitter row going on between George Osborne and Ed Davey about the level of subsidy given to renewable energy and wind turbines in particular The chairman of the Energy & Climate Change Select Committee, Tim Yeo, has waded in and attacked the Chancellor for wanting to rediuce subsidies to the wind farm sector by 25%. I am sure his motives are pure and that he is thinkin entirely of the plant. However, Yeo’s colleague on the Conservative benches, Christopher Heaton-Harris is less sure. Yesterday afternoon, heaton-Harris tweeted this…

“Unsurprised by Tim Yeo’s comments. I’m sure he’s genuinely worried about the subsidies 4 green jobs, esp as he holds so many of them himself”

I suspect Mr Heaton-Harris has by now received a stern phone call from his whip ordering him to delete the said tweet.

I have always found Tim Yeo’s interest in climate change and green issues a tad hypocritical bearing in mind the amount of time he spends flying round the world playing golf. But it appears it goes deeper than that. Yesterday I dug out his entry in the latest Register of Member’s Interests. I print it below.

I haven’t bothered to add up all his outside earning from companies associated with energy renewables but it must be in excess of £90,000. Just what does he do for these companies? How does he justify his £300-£400 hourly rate?

To be fair to Mr Yeo, and I like to be, as you know, he fully declares all his outside earnings and he was elected as chairman of this committee when his colleagues knew full well what his outside interests were.

But I am afraid it still stinks.

I interviewed Labour MP Barry Gardiner on my programme about this last night. He’s a member of Yeo’s committee and seemed entirely relaxed about it. He said that Yeo had offered to withdraw from questioning when this subject came up in front of the committee. The committee didn’t accept his offer.

My Yeo has done nothing wrong. Under the rules he is perfectly within his rights to do this.

But it seems to be a massive error of judgement on his part to think that he can both take the money and remain as chairman of this committee. And let’s not forget, he gets an extra sum from the taxpayer for chairing the committee too!

James Delingpole has just challenged his Twitter followers to name a more loathsome Tory MP. At the time I said he had set an impossible challenge, although I have now thought of two rivals (I’ll keep them to myself). But if Tim Yeo stands down at the next election it won’t be a moment too soon.

Tim Yeo: Member’s interests

Extract from the register of members’ interests

  1. Remunerated directorships

ITI Energy Limited; suppliers of gasification equipment.

AFC Energy; company developing alkaline fuel cell technology. Address: Unit 71.4 Dunsfold Park, Stovolds Hill, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8TB. Undertake duties as Chair, run board meetings and keep in touch with senior management.

Received payment of £3,750, 9 May 2011. Hours: 11 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £3,750, 13 June 2011. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £3,750, 11 July 2011. Hours: 11 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £3,750, 22 August 2011. Hours: 11 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £3,750, 12 September 2011. Hours: 10 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £3,750, 7 October 2011. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Received payment of £5,000, 14 November 2011. Hours: 10 hrs. (Registered 13 December 2011)

Received payment of £5,000, 13 December 2011. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2012)

Received payment of £5,000, 10 January 2012. Hours: 9 hrs. (Registered 9 February 2012)

Received payment of £3,350, 8 February 2012. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 13 March 2012)

Received payment of £990, 29 February 2012. Hours: 2 hrs. (Registered 13 March 2012)

Groupe Eurotunnel SA (non-executive) (of which Eurotunnel plc is a wholly owned subsidiary); company managing the Channel Tunnel. Address: Cheriton Parc, Cheriton High Street, Folkestone, Kent, CT19 4QS. My duties as a non-executive director include attendance at meetings of the Board and of the Environment and Safety Committee and advising senior management on a range of issues.

Received payment of £3,622.57, 9 May 2011. Hours: 6 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £3,569.33, 31 May 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £7,238.97, 28 July 2011. Hours: 11 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £6,440.62, 12 September 2011. Hours: 16 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £4,245.20, 14 October 2011. Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Received payment of £3,526.97, 21 November 2011. Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 13 December 2011)

Received payment of £6,885.38, 31 January 2012. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 9 February 2012)I

Received payment of £4,649.09, 9 February 2012. Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 13 March 2012)

Eco City Vehicles plc, Hemming House, Hemming Street, London, E1 5BL; distributes and services London taxis. Duties include chairing board meetings and keeping in touch with senior management.

Received payment of £3,333.33, 23 May 2011. Hours: 9 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £3,333.33, 22 June 2011. Hours: 9 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £3,333.33, 22 July 2011. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £3,333.33, 22 August 2011. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £3,333.33, 22 September 2011. Hours: 8 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £3,333.33, 24 October 2011. Hours: 6 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Chairman of TMO Renewables Limited, 40 Alan Turing Road, Surrey Research Park, Guilford, Surrey GU2 7YF. The company is developing and supplying technology for second generation biofuels. My duties involve chairing board meetings and keeping in touch with senior management.

Received payment of £1,666.73, 25 May 2011. Hours: 4 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 27 May 2011. Hours: 11 hrs. (Registered 14 June 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 24 June 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 27 June 2011. Hours: 14 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 22 July 2011. Hours: 13 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.53, 25 July 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 22 August 2011. Hours: 14 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 25 August 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 22 September 2011. Hours: 14 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 23 September 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 12 October 2011)

Received payment of £4,166, 23 October 2011. Hours: 13 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 25 October 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Received payment of £4,166, 24 November 2011. Hours: 13 hrs. (Registered 13 December 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 25 November 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 13 December 2011)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 12 December 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2012)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 22 December 2011. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 2 February 2012)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 24 January 2012. Hours: 12 hrs. (Registered 9 February 2012)

Received payment of £1,666.53, 25 January 2012. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 9 February 2012)

Received payment of £1,666.73, 24 February 2012. Hours: 5 hrs. (Registered 13 March 2012)

Received payment of £4,166.66, 24 February 2012. Hours: 15 hrs. (Registered 13 March 2012)

  1. Remunerated employment, office, profession etc

Occasional articles for Country Life magazine.

Management consultant giving advice on strategy and business to Regenesis Ltd, Coptoak House, 216 Blackberry Lane, Limpley Stoke, Bath, BA2 7FE; a California-based company which develops, manufactures and markets advanced technologies for the restoration or remediation of natural resources.

Member of Advisory Board of Oxinia (August 2008-September 2009); a group of recruitment consultants and head-hunters.

Payments from Forum Invest SA; organisers of international conferences. Address: 19, Sold. Gheorghe Matac Street, 020314, Bucharest 2, Romania:

Adviser to Edulink Consultants; providers of education services in Dubai and Uganda. Address: PO Box 500697, Dubai, UAE. I advise on the running of Victoria University, Kampala, where I am Chair of the University Council, including advice on academic standards, marketing and the development of the curriculum.

Payment of £7,494. Hours: 16 hrs. (Registered 3 September 2011)

Payment of £9,994. Hours: 27 hrs. (Registered 17 November 2011)

Payment of £9,994 on 23 January 2012. Hours: 19 hrs. (Registered 9 February 2012)

  1. Registrable shareholdings

(a) Anacol Holdings Ltd.; a family investment company.

(a) (b) AFC Energy (share option).

(a) Eco City Vehicles plc.

(a) Group Eurotunnel SA