Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to establish an independent panel to oversee the regulation of the shale gas industry.

The UK already has a strong regulatory system which provides a comprehensive regime for exploratory activities. To reinforce this system, the Infrastructure Act 2015 introduced a range of further requirements that must be met before an operator can carry out hydraulic fracturing. These include environmental impact assessments, groundwater monitoring, community benefits and the exclusion of protected areas.