Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to put in place a planning process for fracking which diverges from existing planning rules.

We have already made a number of changes to the local planning system in England to ensure that it is suitable in respect to unconventional hydrocarbons.

The National Planning Policy Framework, published in March 2012, sets out the policy framework for minerals, including unconventional hydrocarbons. We have also updated the supporting planning guidance to provide clarity on the role of the planning system in respect to unconventional hydrocarbons, and published this in a web-based format in March 2014.

Further, we introduced in early 2014 a streamlined common application form and amended regulations on notification requirements and fees for the winning and working of oil and natural gas (including exploratory drilling).