Shell chief: governments may need to tax energy firms more to help the poor

Ben van Beurden also warns against EU moves to cap price of gas and electricity to protect consumers

The chief executive of Shell has said governments may need to tax energy companies further to fund efforts to protect the poorest" people from soaring bills.

Ben van Beurden, the outgoing boss of the oil and gas company, told an energy conference in London: One way or another there needs to be government intervention. Protecting the poorest, that probably may then mean that governments need to tax people in this room to pay for it.