IT was interesting to note that Herefordshire has one of the biggest uptakes of solar energy in the country according to government statistics (County among highest for solar power uptake, Hereford Times, January 15), but this is at a time when our Prime Minister David Cameron has decided that taxpayer subsidies for large-scale solar farms will cease.

This is because such developments are now considered a blight on the countryside. This will upset many Herefordshire landowners, but according to the environment secretary Liz Truss, this is an attempt to preserve Britain's beautiful landscape and reduce the totality of "black panels" (her words).

Consequently, the Government is binning £2 million a year of grants available to farmers from the EU's Common Agricultural Policy – worth £100 per acre.

Oh dear! But the government does have good news for us; or is it? Mr Cameron and Co want to promote fracking for shale gas as the answer to our energy needs: "There's money in them there hills, darn it!"

Where will MP Jesse Norman be on this? Rebelling or promoting fracking?

CHRISTOPHER SHORT Former chairman, Friends of the Earth Cymru, Barry