Members of the new All Part Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Shale Gas Regulation & Planning heard from expert witnesses at its first evidence hearing in Parliament this week. The event was also attended by around 30 members of the public and other representatives of related organisations who were able to hear from and question key industry stakeholders about regulations and how they would be implemented if Shale Gas exploration was to take place in the UK.
Among those guests who attended was Andrea Leadsom MP, Minister of State (Department of Energy and Climate Change). The meeting also heard from representatives from Greenpeace, ReFINE, Environment Agency and the Health & Safety Executive. They answered questions from members of the APPG and the general public who asked if present regulations where fit for purpose, how often site visits were carried out and whether there should be a single regulator or lead regulator.
Attendees included university academics; district councillors; members of anti-fracking campaign groups; representatives from energy companies; those employed in related industries and other members of the public.
Chairing the meeting was Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton.
“I helped establish this all-party group because I am aware of the concerns many people have about whether we can safely produce this new source of energy in the UK and what exactly the process of extracting shale gas could mean for our rural landscape and environment if drilling went ahead.
Today’s meeting was positive because it allowed the group to question those responsible for the regulatory framework. It was an opportunity for the APPG and members of the public to find out more about the existing measures in place and how they could be enhanced to safeguard the environment if extraction took place. We need to ensure that if a problem were to arise the solution would not fall into any gaps between various agencies. Effective and pro-active monitoring of sites is essential. We heard some interesting points and new ideas including a ‘Smart Shale’ proposal by ReFINE which would allow all data collected including health impacts to be seen in real-time by the general public.
There are still more questions to be addressed, for instance about planning and community benefit. We will be investigating these issues in further meetings of the APPG. I urge anyone who is interested to contact me so they can participate in the discussion.
My thanks to all involved especially those who gave evidence and answered questions. It was a productive and informative session.”
Minutes of the meeting will soon become available on a website giving information about the APPG Shale Gas Regulation & Planning and their meetings.