The right protections are in place to ensure that fracking can go ahead safely without risk to our most beautiful and important natural sites. People should have confidence in these protections and in this vital industry which could create over 60,000 jobs and be worth billions of pounds to our economy. For these reasons, the Government is providing further reassurance for our most valued areas.
I fully appreciate people's concerns about fracking, but be assured that Britain has a strong regulatory regime for exploratory activities that will be updated as the industry develops. With these protections in place, I think it is right that we explore and make use of shale gas and oil. Regulations will protect some of the country's most beautiful areas, including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Fracking cannot take place at depths of less than 1,200 metres in these areas. The Government is also committed to banning fracking from wells drilled at the surface of these areas and of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, in order to safeguard these beautiful landscapes.
In addition to the regulations and the surface restrictions, consent cannot be granted for fracking until the environmental impact of a development has been taken into account. Operators are also required to monitor the levels of methane in groundwater.
However, I do believe that, despite being guided by the Environment Agency, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs need to update its guidance and regulations on this area. I raised this issue on the floor of the House of Commons, the video of which you can watch here: http://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/c967fa48-f002-4528-a2e3-dcd287a4b517?in=11:59:02
I also believe that the opportunity to extract this energy, as well as to secure jobs and investment, cannot be ignored and so I support proposals that stay within the rules and guidelines highlighted above.
Regarding local fracking, I have always said I am against exploratory fracking in Bath and the Mendip Hills. Despite it being widely reported that there is a risk to Bath from fracking, I received confirmation from Andrea Leadsom, a Minister in the Department for Energy and Climate Change, that Bath and the surrounding areas are not located in a ‘shale prospective area’ and therefore do not have any shale gas under them. This new information was presented to Government by the British Geological Survey.
Given the Minister’s assurances on the impact to our thermal springs, I continue to support the Government on this issue. The UK has one of the best track records in the world for protecting our environment while developing our industries - these regulations will ensure that exploratory drilling is done in other areas while protecting our environment and people.
Last year’s Task Force for Shale Gas report confirmed exactly what we have been saying for some time - that with the right standards in place fracking can take place safely.
We must do all that we can to ensure Britain’s energy is secure, create more good jobs in this new industry, and help us to move away from coal to cleaner forms of energy – delivering a more secure future for Britain.