Reporting of the politics at national and local level of the shale gas and fracking debate
Lee Rowley, who opposed shale gas exploration in his Derbyshire constituency, has been become a junior minister at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). He was appointed in the reshuffle, along with Greg Hands, the new energy and climate change minister.
Michael Gove has replaced Robert Jenrick as secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.
The UK government is consulting on changes to documents that guide decisions on major energy developments.
The government is seeking views on setting a low-carbon standard for blue hydrogen.
The government does not plan to support shale gas exploration or review its moratorium, a minister has said.
A petition against plans to restrict protests has been signed by more than 600,000 people, the organisers said today.
The government should drop its plan to ban noisy protests in England and Wales, a parliamentary committee has warned.
Labour’s bid to ban fracking in England was defeated in parliament this afternoon. The party’s amendment to the Environment Bill was rejected by 357 votes to 216.
A controversial law to increase police powers to control protests was included in the Queen’s Speech this morning. The speech also included other already-announced plans for new environmental targets, an overhaul of the planning system and changes to the way public decisions could be challenged in court.
Opposition MPs have criticised government plans to give police greater powers to control protests as “draconian, undemocratic and disproportionate”.
