Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the status is of planning approvals for fracking following the announcement of a moratorium on that process.

The Government has set out its position in the Written Ministerial Statement of 4 November 2019, confirming that it will take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents, creating an effective moratorium.

There is no change to the status of planning permissions that have been granted for development which includes hydraulic fracturing. These planning permissions remain in force until they expire.