Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution to the UK economy of the shale gas industry to date.

The shale gas industry has the potential to provide the UK with a new domestic energy source, reducing our need for imports, providing more jobs, and contributing to economic growth. However, the industry is at the very early stages of exploration and we do not yet know how much of the UK’s shale resources can be extracted technically or economically and what the contribution to the UK economy could be.

We will continue to support responsible companies, working within our stringent regulatory regime, who are prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves.