Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent estimate her Department has made of the proportion of people in the UK who support (a) onshore wind, (b) nuclear power and (c) fracking.

The Department's most recent estimates of UK public attitudes (covering the UK) were published on 28^th April 2015 and can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/424507/PAT_summary_wave_13.pdf.

The results indicate that 65 percent support onshore windfarms. This is lower than the proportion in favour of solar, offshore wind and wave and tidal technologies while 78 percent were in support of renewable energy developments providing direct benefits to the communities in which they are located. An estimated 39 percent support nuclear power compared to 21 percent opposed with 36 percent neither in support nor opposed; and 24 percent support fracking (shale gas) compared to 26 percent opposed with 44 percent neither in support nor opposed.