LIBERAL Democrats remain committed to green jobs and technology.

That was the message from party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on a visit to the Sharps Electronics factory in Llay on Friday.

He was given a guided tour of production on the solar panels which are being fitted to thousands of Wrexham Council homes over the next 25 years as part of a £30 million project.

There is currently uncertainty about the future of the Feed-in-Tariff introduced by the last Labour government to allow householders, social landlords, organisations and businesses to earn money from the electricity they generate from solar panels on their property.

In February the Coalition Government announced it would be undertaking a review of the scheme, which has led to claims that jobs could be at risk at companies making them, such as Sharps.

But Mr Clegg said: “The Feed-in-Tariff scheme has so far been hugely successful.

“However, this is a very technical issue and Liberal Democrat energy secretary Chris Huhne has begun consultation on the fairest way of doing a solar panel scheme.

“I want to stress that we remain absolutely committed to green jobs, green growth and green technology.”

Mr Clegg stopped off at Sharps during a whistle-stop tour of North and Mid Wales to support Lib Dem candidates standing in next month’s Welsh Assembly elections, including Bill Brereton, who is contesting Wrexham, and Aled Roberts who is standing for the North Wales region.

Mr Clegg added: “Polls go up and down and parties’ fortunes wax and wane.

“As part of the Colatition Government we are having to make some very difficult decisions but you only have to look at what’s just happened with Portugal to see what kind of future awaits us if we don’t.”

Also asked about the defection to Labour announced earlier on Friday of former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Paul Penlington, who stood for the Vale of Clwyd constituency last year, he said: “These things happen.

“In the Midlands recently we had someone defect from Labour to us.

“A very small number of people swap sides and jump ship.”