Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the traffic light monitoring system for regulating fracking-induced seismicity, for what reasons red events are allowed as part of an operator’s hydraulic fracturing plan.
Answered by Claire Perry
Under the Traffic Light System (TLS), regulated by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA), if a seismic event of magnitude 0.5 or above is detected (a “red event”), injection must be paused and pressure in the well be reduced, followed by monitoring for a minimum of 18 hours to determine the cause of the seismic event. This precautionary threshold is set at a level well below what could be felt at the surface.
This threshold and pause in operations allows the OGA to review the event to ensure it is in line with the geological understanding set out in the Hydraulic Fracture Plan (HFP), which must be agreed with regulators before operations can commence, and that the risk of induced seismicity is being appropriately managed by the operator.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress he has made in laying statutory instruments related to EU exit preparedness; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government has made good progress in laying the up to 600 statutory instruments required by exit day to ensure a functioning statute book. As of 31 January, my department has laid 62 exit related statutory instruments. All exit related statutory instruments are published on legislation.gov.uk, and include ‘EU Exit’ in their title.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what is the annual cost to the public purse will be of the Shale Environmental Regulator Group.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Shale Environmental Regulator Group (SERG) complements the existing regulatory regime and operates in a virtual capacity. This is afforded through existing budgets to the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and Oil and Gas Authority, with the exception of some specific incremental costs for three roles within the Environment Agency which cover activities for coordination and communications which are to be agreed annually. The cost within this first year for these roles is £75,000 and there have been no further additional roles or funding to any of the other regulators.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many employees the new Shale Environmental Regulator Group plans to employ.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Shale Environmental Regulator Group is a virtual entity bringing together the regulators of the onshore oil and gas sector, including shale gas operations (the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Oil and Gas Authority). Each of these regulators has the appropriate expertise and is properly resourced to enforce the regulations for which they are responsible. The Shale Environmental Regulator Group creates a single interface for Mineral Planning Authorities and industry, to streamline information access to the regulations, and three current employees of the Environment Agency have been deployed to support this new entity.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the activities of anti-fracking protesters on the transportation of children to hospital.
Answered by Claire Perry
Protesters’ rights must be balanced with the rights of others to go about their business lawfully, without fear of intimidation or serious disruption to the community. Rights to peaceful protest do not extend to violent or threatening behaviour and the police have powers to deal with any such acts. Any impact of protest activity on local access and highways is a matter for local police forces.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what seismic magnitude his Department has set as the threshold to stop permanently a shale gas operation.
Answered by Claire Perry
In the UK, strong controls are in place to mitigate any risks from induced seismicity due to hydraulic fracturing operations. The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) monitors seismicity as part of their regulatory duties and they require operators, as part of a pre-agreed Hydraulic Fracture Plan, to pause if a seismic event of 0.5ML or above on the ‘Richter Local Scale’ is detected. Operations will only be allowed to proceed if the independent regulators determine there are no safety concerns and that the seismic event conforms to the thresholds agreed as part of a Hydraulic Fracture Plan, which they have all signed off.
These regulations ensure that the risk of seismic activity during hydraulic fracturing is assessed in advance and that operations are closely monitored to allow action to be taken by the OGA and other regulators where necessary.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to his Department's Public Attitudes Tracker, September 2018 (Wave 27), whether he has introduced objectives for increasing the rating of shale gas in the next twelve months.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy undertakes quarterly assessments on a range of subjects and topics as part of our Public Attitudes Tracker (PAT). Questions which explore the public’s perception and understanding of shale are included as part of this. The Department has no specific objectives for increasing the ‘rating’ of shale gas in the next twelve months.
The Government understands the development of shale gas exploration and production sites is an issue which directly affects local communities and recognises the need to provide those communities with fact-based information. Therefore, the Government appointed Natascha Engel to be the first Commissioner for Shale gas in October 2018. The Commissioner is a contact point for residents, to listen to their concerns, refer them to relevant and factual research and help improve communication with regulators and industry.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in the level of public support for fracking.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Department undertakes quarterly assessments on a range of subjects and topics as part of our Public Attitudes Tracker (PAT). Questions which explore the public’s perception and understanding of shale are included as part of this.
The latest report was published on 8 November 2018 using survey data collected between 19 - 30 September 2018. The report can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/beis-public-attitudes-tracker-wave-27.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reason the new Shale Environmental Regulator Group was established instead of extending the remit and powers of the (a) Health & Safety Executive, (b) Environment Agency and (c) Oil and Gas Authority.
Answered by Claire Perry
The UK regulatory regime for shale gas is considered among the most robust and stringent in the world but it is also complex with three regulators: the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Oil and Gas Authority. Therefore, the Government has brought the existing regulators together through a virtual Shale Environmental Regulator Group to act as a single point of contact for Mineral Planning Authorities and industry, to improve the efficiency in resolving regulatory issues on sites and to share best practice.
The Government is confident that the right protection is in place to explore shale safely and each regulator will continue to retain its own independent regulatory functions with the virtual regulator group having no statutory powers.
Asked by: Lee Rowley (Conservative - North East Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what new powers will be conferred on the Shale Regulator in addition to the powers held by existing regulators.
Answered by Claire Perry
The Shale Environmental Regulatory Group is a virtual entity bringing together the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Oil and Gas Authority to provide a single interface for Mineral Planning Authorities and industry. It is not a statutory body and has no new powers or regulatory responsibilities. Each regulator will continue to retain its own independent regulatory functions, duties and enforcement powers as set out in law.