Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill

Andrew Selous Excerpts

Wednesday 19th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

No.

Let me be clear to my hon. Friend the Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare) that once the consultation on the mechanism for ascertaining a community’s view has been completed, the results will be brought to the House for approval, which I think he was also asking. If the House does not approve, fracking could not go ahead. Even if the House were to approve a mechanism, local communities would still have to consent in accordance with the mechanism. I reiterate: local communities will have a veto.

[Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire) (Con)]

I want to take the Secretary of State back to the word “unless” in our manifesto, where we said that we would not support fracking

“unless the science shows categorically that it can be done safely.”

Will he confirm that the sense of that word is that we would need, at very least, a new rapid evidence review about safety? Will he commit to that and to the manifesto on which he and I were elected?

[Mr Rees-Mogg]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. I think his suggestion to have a rapid review of the evidence is eminently sensible.