Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Oral Answer of 6 November 2014, Official Report, column 952, on fracking, if he will make it his policy to ensure that baseline assessments of the level of methane in the groundwater should take place at every fracking site a full 12 months in advance.

We support baseline monitoring, which helps ensure a rigorous post-operation assessment. The Environment Agency will require it wherever they consider groundwater to be at risk.