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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to revoke the moratorium on fracking.

The Government have no plans to revoke the moratorium on shale gas extraction.

The Government has always been clear that we will take a precautionary approach and only support shale gas exploration if it can be done in a safe and sustainable way, and that we will be led by the science on whether this is indeed possible.

It remains our policy to be guided by the evidence and to minimise disturbance to those living and working nearby to shale gas exploration sites, and to prevent the risk of any damage.

The moratorium will be maintained unless compelling new evidence is provided which addresses the concerns around the prediction and management of induced seismicity.