I refer to the letter from Councillors Wayne Campbell and Tim Pickstone ('We're disappointed by Conservatives' move not to back energy bills', Letters, November 17) regarding support of the introduction in parliament of the Climate Change Bill and Sustainable Energy Bill.

The Conservative Group supports the concept of these Bills but as stated in the council, we were being asked to:

(a) Urge the government to support the Bills.

(b) Urge local MPs to be present in parliament to back these Bills when they are debated in the House of Commons on the 11th November.

(c) Urge local MPs to sign House of Commons Early Day Motion No. 391 in support of these Bills.

May I therefore remind Couns Campbell and Pickstone that as stated during the council debate, this is a government Bill, so I assume it has their support. With regard to backing the Bill and signing of the Early Day Motion, David Chaytor, Bury North MP, had already signed it. One would assume that Ivan Lewis, Bury South MP, being a member of the government, would automatically be in favour of these Bills.

Bearing in mind that these Bills did not require our endorsement and we were not privy to the contents of them in detail, we took the view that this was a waste of council time and abstained on the vote.

One begs the question - why was this subject raised in council in the first place? Elected Members have many other equally important issues to debate, ie, pending school closures, the future of Fairfield Hospital, including the baby unit and mMaternity services; the overspend in social services - need I go on?

Obviously, the reason for this letter must be to inform the public of the partnership now being fostered between Labour and Liberal Democrats in Bury.

Are they in electioneering mode in readiness for next year's local elections?

Councillor BOB BIBBY

Conservative Group Leader