Local planning authorities are able to attach planning conditions to a planning permission to mitigate the effects of any development and make an otherwise unacceptable proposal acceptable in planning terms. Conditions must be necessary, relevant to planning and to the development, enforceable, precise and reasonable.

In that context, a local planning permission for shale extraction will wish to outline the appropriate arrangements for the transport of materials and equipment, and may address the issue of piped connections and highways movements. The appropriate solution will ultimately depend on local circumstances of the individual application.

The UK has a strong regulatory system which provides a comprehensive and fit for purpose regime for exploration. The regulatory regime

recognises that regulators must be allowed to take decisions depending on the circumstances of each particular case. The Environment Agency, for example, takes a risk-based approach to permitting that in most cases means a blanket refusal to issue a permit in certain circumstances would not be appropriate. Planning authorities also assess each application on a case by case basis, recognising that each application may have specific circumstances that need to be taken into account.

There are standards that all operators must adhere to. These can be found in legislation and guidance set out by Government and regulators, such as the Environment Agency. The industry's own guidelines also include best practice which operators are committed to following.

The UK's goal based approach to regulation of shale gas extraction was commended by an authoritative review by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society, which was published in June 2012.

All counties in England except Cornwall include areas being considered under the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the next Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing Round. More details of the SEA areas can be found on the map (Figure NTS 1) on page vi of the Environmental Report via the following weblink:

https://econsultation.decc.gov.uk/decc-policy/consultation-env-report-further-oil-gas-licensing/

It is not appropriate to provide the information requested as it could lead to potential identification of parties with a section 29 notice under review and speculation regarding their financial capacity.

The Environment Agency's understanding is that there are no proposals to carry out hydraulic fracturing in Bleasdale. Furthermore, the groundwater around the sites which have so far been granted planning permission to carry out exploratory fracturing in western Lancashire is not used for drinking water supply in these areas.

The Environment Agency must make an assessment on the risk of pollution to groundwater on a case by case (site by site) basis. The Environment Agency has assessed that there is no risk of pollution of groundwater for the existing sites but this could be different for other sites in Lancashire.

The Environment Agency would require an operator to apply for an Environmental Permit for a groundwater activity before hydraulic fracturing could commence, if they determine that there could be a risk of pollution of groundwater at a site. This permit would put conditions on their operation, which would control the risks of pollution in order to safeguard the groundwater and water quality.

I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s question. The Environment Agency will carry out the monitoring, but because we have increased the co-ordination of regulatory bodies, my Department will be aware of it. I hope that I assured him in my answer to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas) that the terms of any additional licences would have to ensure that the abstraction was sustainable and would not put at risk the rights of existing licence holders.