Fracking Debate

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Department: Wales Office
Tuesday 7th July 2015

(9 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Portrait Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
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My Lords, as independent experts have indicated, the geology of the United Kingdom is very different from the geology of Oklahoma. There, of course, it is about oil, while here in the north of England it is gas. An expert from the University of Glasgow, Dr Rob Westaway, said that if you are talking about seismic danger, you might as well talk about the danger of slamming a wooden door.

Lord Palmer Portrait Lord Palmer (CB)
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My Lords, would the Minister not agree that fracking is perfectly safe as long it adheres to a very strict code of conduct when carrying out the actual fracking?

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Portrait Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
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My Lords, the code of conduct followed and the procedure in the United Kingdom, with the HSE and the Environment Agency, are among the best in the world. We have every reason to believe that fracking is totally safe and that any risks can be effectively managed.