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707718

registered interest
date	03/03/2017
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to establish a contingency bond to cover the costs of environmental clean up in the event of a shale oil or gas company going into administration.
tabling member constituency	Fermanagh and South Tyrone
tabling member printed	Tom Elliott
uin	66444
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2017 answer text <p>Government has been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound. In the UK, we have been regulating for gas and oil drilling, both onshore and offshore, for over 50 years and have tough regulations in place to ensure on-site safety, prevent water contamination, and mitigate seismic activity and air pollution.</p><p>Projects must be approved by the environmental regulator (in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) and the Health and Safety Executive. Approval must also be sought from the relevant Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) through the planning system. MPAs are able to set the planning conditions they consider necessary, and some have already chosen to do so for site restoration.</p><p>In England, as part of the petroleum licensing process, and prior to awarding a licence, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) assesses whether a company has adequate financial capacity for its planned operations. The OGA also checks at the drilling and, where relevant, production stage that the company has sufficient funding and appropriate insurance. The licensing of oil and gas development is devolved to Northern Ireland.</p><p>BEIS officials are working with the industry’s trade body UK Onshore Oil and Gas to ensure that liabilities for shale wells are addressed in the rare circumstance where all of the companies on a licence became insolvent, and where no rescue mechanism for those companies could be found.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 13/03/2017 11:46:51 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4367 label Biography information for Tom Elliott

685897

registered interest
date	07/02/2017
answering body	HM Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	CaTreasury
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish the outcome of the consultation on the delivery methods and priorities for the Shale Wealth Fund.
tabling member printed	Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts
uin	HL5301
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2017 answer text <p>The Shale Wealth Fund consultation resulted in 170 responses and closed on 26 October. Following this the government set out at Autumn Statement 2016 that local communities will benefit first and determine how the money is spent in their area. A government response to the consultation will be published shortly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 21/02/2017 12:24:08 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	1651 label Biography information for Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts

644028

registered interest
date	24/11/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the potential effect of the Government's policy on fracking on local communities.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	54711
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/11/2016 answer text <p>I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave her on 2nd November 2016 to Question UIN 50945:</p><p><a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-10-28/50945/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2016-10-28/50945/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 29/11/2016 09:32:59 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

632770

registered interest
date	09/11/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report from the Dutch Safety Board in February 2015 into the man-made earthquakes in Groningen proven to be a result of shale gas extraction; and what assessment they have made of the parallels that can be drawn in relation to UK geology and the safety of the UK's shale gas operations.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL3168
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2016 answer text <p>Extraction of shale gas has not induced any earthquakes in Groningen.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has over 50 years’ experience in regulating onshore oil and gas, and strong controls are in place to mitigate seismic risks. Operators have to use all available geological information to assess the location of faults before wells are drilled to avoid hydraulic fracturing near faults. They must then monitor seismic activity in real time, before, during and after operations, and halt injection if seismic activity exceeds a predefined level.</p><p> </p><p>Operators must immediately stop injection if a tremor of magnitude 0.5 or greater is detected, reduce pressure of fluid in the well and then monitor seismicity for 24 hours to determine whether any later events are recorded before any further activity can take place.</p><p> </p><p>This 0.5 threshold has been adopted as an initial precautionary level set on the basis of a report by a group of independent experts, and a tremor of this magnitude would only be detectable at the ground’s surface through the use of sensitive equipment.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 16/11/2016 16:38:23 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

632771

registered interest
date	09/11/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps will be taken to mitigate the effects of sand used in the fracking process being released into the atmosphere.
tabling member printed	Lord Greaves
uin	HL3169
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2016 answer text <p>Sand is used in the hydraulic fracturing process to keep the tiny fractures in the shale open. Sand itself does not pose a risk to health, but in some situations where sand is used on well sites the risk of occupational exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (RCS) should be considered by the employer. Occupational Health and Safety is under the remit of the Health and Safety Executive, who have issued guidance and advice to help employers manage risks and to raise awareness of the importance of controlling exposure to harmful materials at work.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 15/11/2016 12:42:08 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	2569 label Biography information for Lord Greaves

628270

registered interest
date	03/11/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in developing their policy on fracking, whether they have taken into account the number of earthquakes which measured 3.0 on the Richter Scale in Oklahoma and other places in the US where fracking has been carried out.
tabling member printed	Lord Hunt of Chesterton
uin	HL3005
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/11/2016 answer text <p>We have ensured that strong controls are in place to mitigate seismic risks. Operators in the UK must avoid hydraulically fracturing near faults, and must monitor seismic activity before, during and after operations. Operations will halt if seismic activity exceeds a magnitude of 0.5 or greater on the Richter scale, and the pressure of fluid in the well will be reduced immediately.</p><p>Studies in the United States<sup>(1)</sup> have shown that most induced seismicity is caused by re-injection of waste and produced waters from oil and gas operations, both conventional and unconventional. Re-injection of waste and produced waters will not be permitted from shale gas wells in the UK.</p><p><em>(1) </em><em>http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/induced/myths.php</em></p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 08/11/2016 15:53:38 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	2543 label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton

626144

registered interest
date	31/10/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to simplify planning and administrative processes required before exploratory drilling can take place for shale gas.
tabling member constituency	Welwyn Hatfield
tabling member printed	Grant Shapps
uin	51120
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2016 answer text <p>Before shale operations begin, it is important that a developer is required to obtain all the necessary permissions, including planning and environmental permits.</p><p> </p><p>The UK has an effective planning system to consider and scrutinise unconventional oil and gas developments. On 16 September 2015, the Government published a joint Written Ministerial Statement[1] to make the planning system faster and fairer for those affected by new development, recognising that no one benefits from uncertainty caused by delay. We will keep the regulatory regime for shale under review as the industry develops to ensure it is proportionate and fit for purpose.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>[1] <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-09-16/HCWS202/" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2015-09-16/HCWS202/</a></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 03/11/2016 16:35:14 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	1582 label Biography information for Grant Shapps

623470

registered interest
date	28/10/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the potential effect of the Government's fracking strategy on local communities.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	50945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2016 answer text <p>Both the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are clear that local communities will have the opportunity to take part in and comment on matters that impact on their local area. Any shale planning application – whether decided by Local Authorities or Government – will continue to require a full consultation with local people.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 02/11/2016 11:08:11 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

577024

registered interest
date	06/09/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	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.
tabling member printed	Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
uin	HL1621
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2016 answer text <p>Shale companies need permission from independent expert regulators before any hydraulic fracturing operations can begin:</p><p>- A licence for onshore oil and gas exploration is required from the Oil and Gas Authority</p><p>- Planning permission is required from the local Mineral Planning Authority</p><p>- Permits to operate a site are required from the Environment Agency</p><p>- Safety on a drilling site and standards of well construction are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive</p><p>- A drilling consent is also required from the Oil and Gas Authority</p><p>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.</p> answering member printed Baroness Neville-Rolfe question first answered 15/09/2016 15:26:11 answering member 4284 label Biography information for Baroness Neville-Rolfe
tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

541137

registered interest
date	20/07/2016
answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept id	201
answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
hansard heading	Fracking
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what responsibilities his Department has for (a) formulating and (b) overseeing regulation of the shale gas industry; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	43477
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2016 answer text <p>Responsibility for formulating and overseeing regulation of the shale gas industry has been transferred to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Department will fulfil the same role previously undertaken by the Department of Energy and Climate Energy.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has been clear that shale development must be safe and environmentally sound. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering concluded that risks can be managed if industry follows best practice enforced by regulation <strong>[1]</strong>. We already have one of the most robust regulatory regimes in the world for shale gas and we will look to continuously improve it as the industry develops.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em><strong>[1]</strong></em><em> The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineers, Shale gas extraction in the UK: a review of hydraulic fracturing, 2012</em></p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 05/09/2016 12:54:09 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies