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

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of potential sources for exploring fracking sites where sufficient fresh water is not available at that site.

Companies must obtain water from their local water company or apply for an abstraction licence from the Environment Agency. Whichever option a company chooses; an assessment would be made of the availability of water, existing users and any impact on the environment.

If sufficient water is not available then the water company or the Environment Agency may not be able to grant permission for the company to use the water for all or part of the time it is required. Companies would need to plan their operations accordingly.