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178121

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which body will maintain and regulate the seismic activities of companies fracking at depth for shale gas and intervene in the event of 0.5 on the Richter scale being reached.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department of Energy and Climate Change will maintain and regulate controls to mitigate risks of seismic activity, including requiring developers to submit a Hydraulic Fracturing Plan providing for a traffic light system.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 09:56:05 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

178122

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what representations he has received on self monitoring by fracking companies for shale gas; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223682
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Department has received representations about self-monitoring from various parties, including members of the public, NGOs and a Minerals Planning Authority.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 09:50:58 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

178123

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, which regulator regulates the activities of all regulators for fracking activities.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>Each regulator is accountable to parliament as an agency or public body and we aim not to duplicate those mechanisms.</p><p>DECC has the policy lead. It works closely with regulators and industry to ensure that regulation is as efficient as possible whilst remaining robust to safeguard public safety and protect the environment.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 09:53:01 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

178124

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if his Department will exercise the precautionary principle for each application for a licence to frack hydraulically for shale gas.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223683
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The licences do not give permission for any operation, including hydraulic fracturing. I can confirm that we will require a hydraulic fracturing plan to be submitted for any fracturing of shale, which must be approved by DECC before the fracturing operations commence. We have one of the most robust regulatory systems in the world for shale gas, including a traffic light system to measure seismic activity to allow operations to be suspended if activity is detected above a defined level.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 13:21:04 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

178125

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether monitoring of potential fugitive methane emissions will continue for 30 years after the exploration for fracking has finished.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223681
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2015 answer text <p>The Environment Agency will make a case by case assessment of monitoring requirements. There is provision in the environmental permit for an operation involving hydraulic fracturing to require monitoring indefinitely post closure of a well. The Environment Agency will not allow surrender of the permit unless it is satisfied that the well has been decommissioned in line with standards set by the Health and Safety Executive, the site has been returned to a satisfactory condition and there is no significant on-going risk to the environment.</p><p>The recent Infrastructure Act 2015 makes clear that any hydraulic fracturing activity cannot take place unless appropriate arrangements have been made for monitoring emissions of methane into the air. During operations the operator will be required to undertake environmental monitoring, including emissions monitoring, to demonstrate compliance with their permits. In some cases, depending on the risks presented by a site or community concerns, the Environment Agency may undertake extra monitoring themselves.</p><p>My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will not grant well consent unless he is satisfied that an environmental permit is in place which contains a condition requiring compliance with a waste management plan providing for the monitoring of emissions of methane into the air for the period of the permit.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 24/02/2015 16:11:15 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

178126

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the role is of the Office of Unconventional Gas and Oil in regulation and oversight of onshore fracking activities for shale gas.
tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
uin	223637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Office for Unconventional Gas and Oil is part of DECC. It works closely with regulators and industry to ensure that regulation is as efficient as possible whilst remaining robust to safeguard public safety and protect the environment.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 09:51:58 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

177701

registered interest
date	04/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the risks posed by wells abandoned after use for high volume hydraulic fracturing.
tabling member constituency	Wells
tabling member printed	Tessa Munt
uin	223322
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The current regulatory framework requires that wells are made safe so that they can be decommissioned securely. Few instances are known of problems with decommissioned wells, and none of significant pollution caused by decommissioned wells.</p><p>When operations finish, the licensee (and there may be more than one for each licence) is responsible for safe decommissioning of the well(s) and for restoring the well-site to its previous state or a suitable condition for re-use.</p><p>The key aim of the procedure for decommissioning a well is to ensure that the well will require no further work and ensure that it is permanently sealed.</p><p>The Health and Safety Executive scrutinises the design of all wells prior to any construction taking place. It also monitors well construction and will undertake joint visits to all new shale gas and oil wells with the Environment Agency. HSE also scrutinises the decommissioning/ abandonment process in the same way.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 10/02/2015 12:13:55 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 43684 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4089 label Biography information for Tessa Munt

177705

registered interest
date	04/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, over what period of time, at what time intervals, at which depths and for which substances he plans to monitor wells abandoned after use for high volume hydraulic fracturing.
tabling member constituency	Wells
tabling member printed	Tessa Munt
uin	223324
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>The aim of the current regulatory framework is that wells are made safe so that they can be decommissioned with no need for on-going attention. In the UK very few instances are known of problems with decommissioned wells, and none of significant pollution caused by decommissioned wells.</p><p>There is, however, a case for further quality assurance, with some period of monitoring post-decommissioning. We are discussing suitable arrangements with regulators and industry. As regards monitoring of the site restoration, this is a matter for the planning authority.</p><p>In the 2014 Autumn Statement, the Government announced £31 million funding for a world-leading facility for research, technology and monitoring of the subsurface that will provide openly available data for academia, industry and regulators. The independent research will provide an evidence base for better regulation and to reassure the public that subsurface developments can be safe.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 10/02/2015 12:14:25 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 43689 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4089 label Biography information for Tessa Munt

177834

registered interest
date	04/02/2015
answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
answering dept id	63
answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, with reference to the Government response to the report from the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society on shale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing, published in December 2012, how many of the recommendations in that report which were accepted by the Government have been implemented.
tabling member constituency	Wells
tabling member printed	Tessa Munt
uin	223406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The Government accepted all of Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering’s recommendations made in their report. We have implemented the majority of recommendations in full, for example:</p><p>· We have introduced a requirement, through the Infrastructure Act, that the Secretary of State will not issue a hydraulic fracturing consent unless a range of conditions have been met. These include that appropriate arrangements have been made for the monitoring of emissions of methane into the air, the independent inspection of the integrity of the relevant well and for the environmental impact to be taken into account by the local planning authority.</p><p>· The British Geological Survey has published regional data on tectonic history and faulting in many prospective areas and DECC set out new requirements for operators to control seismic risks, including a ‘traffic light’ system to pause or halt fracking if unusual seismic activity is detected.</p><p>· DECC now requires operators to compile an Environmental Risk Assessment, with the participation of the local community, at an early stage of developing shale gas projects. This is in addition to extensive guidance to drive high standards throughout the lifecycle of a project.</p><p>· The Infrastructure Act includes the requirement for relevant water companies to be statutory consultees.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to respond as exploratory wells provide more data and information. For example, DECC is working with the industry to develop appropriate monitoring for the period after production ceases and the well is decommissioned.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 23/02/2015 15:56:51 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock previous answer version 43697 answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4089 label Biography information for Tessa Munt

177487

registered interest
date	03/02/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which organisation is responsible for carrying out environmental impact assessments for hydraulic fracturing developments.
tabling member constituency	Brent North
tabling member printed	Barry Gardiner
uin	223033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2015 answer text <p>Where an environmental impact assessment is required, the applicant must produce an environmental statement to accompany the planning application. The local planning authority will consider the environmental statement and other relevant information when determining the planning application.</p><p> </p><p>We do not hold information on the likely future annual costs of environmental impact assessments in respect of hydraulic fracturing development. Estimating annual costs would be difficult given uncertainties over the number of proposals coming forward each year. Additionally the costs of individual environmental impact assessments will depend on factors such as the scope and level of detail of the information required to assess the likely significant environmental effects of the proposal and will vary on a case by case basis</p><p> </p><p>The majority of the cost in respect of an environmental impact assessment will be borne by the applicant. The industry has already committed to undertake environmental impact assessment for any exploration well that involves hydraulic fracturing.</p><p> </p><p>A Government amendment to the Infrastructure Bill requires that, before issuing consent for associated hydraulic fracturing, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change must be satisfied that the environmental impact of the development has been taken into account by the local planning authority.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 222999 question first answered 12/02/2015 17:20:28 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 43592 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	146 label Biography information for Barry Gardiner