Shale Gas Exploration: Planning Permission

Tim Farron Excerpts
Wednesday 12th September 2018

(6 years, 2 months ago)

Westminster Hall
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Claire Perry Portrait The Minister for Energy and Clean Growth (Claire Perry)
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It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Howarth, and to see so many engaged colleagues in the Chamber. I remain grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley), whom I have met on many occasions to discuss at length his facts versus other facts. I will continue to engage with all Members; as they know, my door is always open to discuss any issue relating to energy policy.

As all Members know, given Ministers’ quasi-judicial role in the planning system, I am not at liberty to comment on any particular applications or any local mineral plans.

Tim Farron Portrait Tim Farron (Westmorland and Lonsdale) (LD)
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Will the Minister give way on that point?

Claire Perry Portrait Claire Perry
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I will make a little progress and then I will happily give way. To be clear, Government Members stood on clear manifesto commitments to develop a shale industry in this country and to bring forward proposals to review permitted development rights and the NSIP regime. We put together an extensive, long-running consultation so that all views, which are profoundly held on both sides, had an opportunity to be expressed.