Sammy Wilson has again voiced his support for fracking, asking the new Prime Minister if she accepts “it is absolute madness to turn our back” on “150 years worth of gas under the ground”.
The East Antrim MP posed the question during a Parliamentary debate on UK Energy Costs despite his party’s public opposition to the practice.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique used to extract gas and oil by creating underground cracks with high pressure and chemicals.
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It was banned in England because of concerns about earthquakes and the environment.
Liz Truss went on to announce an end to the fracking ban in England, alongside North Sea oil and gas production, to accelerate the UK’s domestic energy supply.
Mr Wilson said during the debate: “Would she accept that with 150 years worth of gas under the ground in GB, it is absolute madness to turn our back on that resource at a time when the people are facing huge energy bills?
“Could she also just explain to us how she intends to deliver the support which she is talking about in Northern Ireland.”
The Prime Minister answered: “I do agree and I am coming to the point about shale gas in a minute, but I can assure him that this policy will apply in Northern Ireland and those benefits will be given to the people of Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom.”
Mr Wilson later issued a statement on the DUP website welcoming Ms Truss’ assertion NI will benefit from the measures she announced.
He said: “The Prime Minister rightly recognised the crisis not only requires short-term intervention and assistance, but also action to secure the long-term energy supply needs of the United Kingdom and to ensure we can become an exporter of energy in the future.”
Liz Truss also announced a £2,500 energy cap for household bills for two years but refused a one-off tax on energy company profits.
Despite the move, bills will still be around double what they were last October.
Mr Wilson added: “It is disappointing that none of the funding that will be necessary will come from the energy companies who are set to make significant additional profits, driven largely due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have previously called on the Chancellor and the government to look to a windfall tax on energy companies and believe this would have been a suitable way for such UK-wide assistance to have been funded.”
Fracking is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland.
Mr Wilson’s party colleague and Economy Minister, Gordon Lyons, told the Assembly days before the DUP toppled Stormont the DUP supports a moratorium on fracking, gas and oil exploration in Northern Ireland.
He reinforced that position after being re-elected in May.
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