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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effects of fracking on meeting global climate targets.

The Government issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 27 October confirming that it will adopt a presumption against issuing further hydraulic fracturing consents. This effective moratorium will be maintained until compelling new evidence is provided addressing concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity. As such, shale gas extraction will not impact the UK meeting global climate targets.