The energy and clean growth minister, Claire Perry, told the House of Commons today she would go to Cuadrilla’s Preston New Road fracking site and would visit protesters.
Ms Perry was responding to a question this morning from Labour’s Barry Gardiner who asked whether she would finally visit residents living near the site.
It emerged last month that the minister had never visited a shale gas site and earlier this month DrillOrDrop reported that she had been invited four times to meet with opponents of Cuadrilla’s operations in Lancashire.
Ms Perry replied that she had been advised for security reasons to “be very careful about engaging with protesters”. She said
“I was aggressively approached by a protester who threatened to visit my home because he knew my children were home alone”.
But she said: “I would be delighted to visit Preston New Road” and she added:
“Of course, when I go, unlike some opposition members, I will make sure to visit the protestors and also those exploiting the resource to create jobs. Those of us on the Government Benches believe in jobs, not mobs.”
DrillOrDrop asked the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy when and where the incident with the protester took place.
A spokesperson said:
“Thanks for your query – we have nothing more to add to what Claire said earlier”.
Ms Perry denied there had been a change in government policy following a pause in fracking at Preston New Road. Campaigners at the site have estimated that there has been no fracking since Friday 2 November.
Replying to Labour’s Jim. Cunningham, Ms Perry replied:
“Not at all.
“We are calmly and soberly going through the process of seeing whether this potentially valuable resource that can reduce our energy dependency on imports can be exploited, but it has to be done in a way that is consistent with our world-beating and tough regulatory regime.”
She referred to a one-day study by Liverpool University which likened the 1.1ML (local magnitude) earth tremor at Preston New Road to a 1kg bag of flour dropped from waist height to the floor.
The minister also denied she had broken the ministerial code by not declaring a meeting with fracking companies in May this year.
Ms Perry said:
“the ministerial code does not require Ministers to disclose meetings that they drop in on, as opposed to host in their office. I have made it clear to my officials that any meeting ever held with anyone related to shale gas should be recorded, whether or not that is in accordance with current guidance”.
Categories: Politics
DRILL OR DROP? 
Why don’t you ask the lady, reaction??
I’m sure she would have an appropriate reply.
Reminds me, I must dust off my Bard. Seems luring someone for a discussion to then assassinate them is part of society again. Well, a particular part of society, anyway. The species evolution seems to have slowed in the last few thousand years.
Trouble is, when they survive the assassination attempt, they tend to remember and act accordingly in the future.
Wowzers Mrtn! An assassination attempt on Claire Perry? when did THAT happen? Or is this just more Collywibble?
You are funny!
Off topic thought it was about fracking being forced into communities ? By the government and with heavy handed police tactics , and me been a NIMBY
One out of the three statements correct there mark…
You’ve given an insight into your activities though mark.
You state the police had to forcefully remove you
You state you have funded legal fees for people [moderator] accused of [/moderator] committing criminal activity
You realise crossing that line puts you in a different category???
Actually Mark w, the subject was concerning CP visiting PNR, and the bile this has produced rather than the welcome that would be normally expected. Sorry, not about you.
But if you want to read the previous posts and the one I was commenting upon, you may appreciate the context.
Standing up too protect our homes is criminal activity didn’t know that thought it was legal protests learn something every day when your village and homes come under attack stay in your home’s critising or even worse Russia might turn the taps off lol
OMG a bag of flours just fell off the kitchen side thought it was another quake false alarm quys
At last the message is finally getting through…
Most of you are talking crap. There is more damage being done bringing the gas from the USA etc then getting from home soil. Stop using it so much then we would not need to frack.
Will she be taking Natascha Engel with her ?
You going to ask the question then reaction???
Having done all that “research” only seems apt. But, no, is the answer. No point waiting for something from yourself, your role is obviously to “encourage” others.
Meanwhile, Wressle recommended by the Planning Officer, together with the independent expert advice commissioned by that department.
Thought some factual news may be appropriate, just to break the trend.
Well said Harry neither of them welcome at my door