East Yorkshire MP Sir Greg Knight says ‘no’ to fracking after Government decision

Expressing his concerns about safety speaking in the House of Commons, Sir Greg told the Government’s Business Secretary Jacob Ress-Mogg MP: “Despite what he has said, is it not the case that forecasting the occurrence of seismic events as a result of fracking remains a challenge to the experts.

“Is it not therefore creating a risk of an unknown quantity to pursue shale gas exploration at the present time?”

Sir Greg said: “Is he aware the safety of the public is not a currency in which some of us choose to speculate?”

Replying the minister said that he thought “on a balance of risks,” Sir Greg was “not coming to the right conclusion”.

However, Sir Greg said that the recent British Geological Survey states, in relation to fracking, that “forecasting the occurrence of seismic events remains a scientific challenge for the geoscience community”.

“In other words,” Sir Greg said: “There remains doubt and uncertainty about the effects of the fracking process, which has the potential to release methane gas and pollute underground water supplies. Because of these current safety concerns, I am not supporting the proposed resumption of shale gas exploration.”

Sir Greg also believes that, in any event, local people should have the final say on fracking activity and that it should not be forced upon communities that do not want it.