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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the withdrawal by Aurora Energy Resources of their planning application for fracking at Altcar Moss, Lancashire; and what advice they will give to companies about future fracking projects in the light of this withdrawal.

The Government cannot comment on individual planning applications. The Government’s position on shale gas policy remains unchanged, as set out in a Written Ministerial Statement on 4 November 2019, Official Report, HLWS68[1] . Planning authorities should continue to take national planning policy and guidance into account in considering any relevant applications.

[1] Energy Policy Update: Written statement - HLWS68: https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Lords/2019-11-04/HLWS68/