Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is taken by the Environment Agency, and within what timescale, in the event of a pad being ruptured at a fracking site and the water going to ground.

The Environment Agency (EA) has the expertise and the resources to respond to any environmental incidents 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

If there is an incident which causes pollution of the environment, environmental damage, or if there is a breach of the permit or non-compliance with environmental legislation, the EA has a range of enforcement powers available.

In the event of damage to the protective membrane on a well pad, the EA would require the operator to carry out immediate repairs and to take remedial works should any environmental damage have been caused.