Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Brown Excerpts
Tuesday 22nd October 2019

(4 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait Kwasi Kwarteng
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My hon. Friend is right: this is one of the top issues that come across my desk. I feel the local concern about it, and we will take that into consideration when we reach a final decision.

Alan Brown Portrait Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)
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The National Audit Office report confirms that the UK Government have not analysed the costs and benefits of fracking and do not know how much money they have actually spent supporting fracking. Governance and regulation risks remain, as well as decommissioning liabilities that need to be resolved. Is it not time that the UK Government followed the lead of the Scottish Government and decided not to support the development of unconventional oil and gas?

Kwasi Kwarteng Portrait Kwasi Kwarteng
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As I said to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley), we will consider the Oil and Gas Authority’s report and we will look at the evidence before we reach a final decision on the issue.