Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Written Statement of 17 May 2018 on Energy Policy, HCWS690, what (a) methodology and (b) data were used by his Department for the statement that shale gas companies could make set payments to communities with shale developments for up to £10m.

The figure quoted is an industry estimate that has been modelled on scenarios in the Institute of Directors’ report entitled ‘Getting shale gas working’.

The shale gas industry has made a commitment through its Community Engagement Charter[1], to provide benefits to local communities at locations where hydraulic fracturing takes place.

[1] http://www.ukoog.org.uk/community/charter