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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the issues Cuadrilla Resources has faced whilst fracking near Blackpool; and whether they consider the UK fracking industry to be commercially viable.

The Government is reassured that our regulatory regime for shale gas is working as intended. The industry is at the very early stages of exploration and we do not yet know how much of the UK’s shale resources can be extracted technically or economically and what the contribution to the UK economy could be.

We will continue to support responsible companies, working within our robust regulatory regime, who are prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves.