France's state energy company, EDF, was last week fined €1.5m by a Paris court for spying on staff at Greenpeace, with three high ranking officials at the company receiving prison sentences for their roles in the illegal operation.

EDF has also been ordered to pay €500,000 in damages to the environmental organisation.

Caroline is now writing Ministers to call for an investigation into the potential implications for the UK of the scandal involving EDF, which is the world's biggest supplier of nuclear energy and the owner of UK company British Energy.

The Pavilion MP said:

"That top security officials in EDF were able to order and oversee an illegal campaign of spying on Greenpeace staff is deeply shocking.

"It completely exposes the company's arrogant readiness to deviate from the ethical and legal standards we should expect from a major sponsor of the London Olympics. 

"The fines and sentences handed out by the French courts last week should serve as a clear warning that corporate espionage will not be tolerated.

"But this isn't just a matter for the French.

"Given that EDF is set to receive hundreds of millions of pounds from the British taxpayer in indirect subsidies for building new nuclear in the UK as a result of Government's carbon price floor, the company must now reassure the UK authorities that no such activities have taken place on this side of the Channel."

"I will be asking both the Justice Secretary and the Energy and Climate Secretary for their assessment of the potential implications for the UK, and whether Greenpeace UK has also been targeted."

ENDS

Image credit: Greenpeace