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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that regulations governing the exploitation on a significant scale of shale gas by fracking will be robust and will not permit an unacceptable level of self-regulation.

Shale companies need permission from independent expert regulators before any hydraulic fracturing operations can begin:

- A licence for onshore oil and gas exploration is required from the Oil and Gas Authority

- Planning permission is required from the local Mineral Planning Authority

- Permits to operate a site are required from the Environment Agency

- Safety on a drilling site and standards of well construction are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive

- A drilling consent is also required from the Oil and Gas Authority

We are confident that we have a robust regulatory regime in place. The Government will keep the regulatory regime for shale under review as the industry develops to ensure it is proportionate and fit for purpose.