The moratorium on fracking has been restored by Rishi Sunak, Downing Street confirmed on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman confirmed that Mr Sunak was committed to the effective ban on fracking set out in the 2019 general election manifesto.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss lifted the ban on fracking in England. Fracking was paused in 2019 following worries about earthquakes in west Lancashire and the Government said it would be guided by the science before it was allowed to restart.
Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg previously said the impact of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine means securing domestic energy supplies was vital as he defended lifting the moratorium on fracking
Fracking is the process of hydraulic fracturing, which uses high-pressure liquid to release gas from shale formations. The 2019 Conservative manifesto pledged not to lift England’s moratorium unless “the science shows categorically it can be done safely”.
A Government-commissioned report by the British Geological Survey (BGS) was inconclusive, saying more data was needed, but despite the lack of scientific progress, Ms Truss’s administration tore up the manifesto commitment.
(PA Graphics)
