Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the level of compliance with relevant environmental restrictions by Cuadrilla Resources’ at its shale gas site at Preston New Road.

The Environment Agency assesses that to date Cuadrilla have been in general compliant with their permit conditions.

The Environment Agency expects full compliance against Environmental Permits but it is not uncommon for industrial sites to have minor non compliances after site inspections and audits.

The Environment Agency has raised concerns over the management of surface water on site and has asked the operator to address this as a matter of priority.