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

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many environmental breaches of the conditions agreed between fracking companies and the Environment Agency have taken place at (1) New Preston Road, (2) Kirby Misperton, and (3) Broadford Bridge.

Over the past 12 months the Environment Agency has recorded four minor permit non-compliances at Preston New Road and two minor permit non-compliances at Kirby Misperton. None of these non-compliances caused any serious environmental pollution. There have been no permit non-compliances at Broadford Bridge, which does not have a permit to undertake high volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and there are currently no plans to frack there.

The Environment Agency expects full compliance with environmental permits but it is not uncommon for industrial sites to have minor non-compliances after site inspections and audits. The Environment Agency takes the risks posed by hydraulic fracturing very seriously and recorded non-compliances are evidence of their strong regulatory role in this sector.