Rishi Sunak brings back fracking ban in first PMQs - BBC

The prohibition connected shale state fracking successful England has been restored by caller Prime Minister Rishi Sunak successful his archetypal PMQs.

Downing Street confirmed Mr Sunak was committed to the moratorium acceptable retired successful his party's 2019 manifesto.

His predecessor Liz Truss had lifted the prohibition connected the arguable process wherever determination was section consent.

During Prime Minister's Questions helium would not perpetrate to expanding benefits successful enactment with prices, and his spokesperson besides refused to remark connected whether the authorities pension would emergence with ostentation up of a connection by the chancellor adjacent month.

Ms Truss announced her determination to assistance the prohibition connected fracking successful England successful September. With vigor bills rising, she argued fracking could boost the UK's state supplies.

But the determination provoked a backlash from galore Conservative MPs due to the fact that of concerns astir world tremors linked to fracking.

The arguable process, which involves drilling into the world to retrieve state from shale rock, was halted successful 2019 pursuing absorption from biology groups and section communities.

Labour and different absorption parties are besides against the instrumentality of fracking.

Asked by Green MP Caroline Lucas if helium would reconstruct the moratorium connected fracking pledged successful the Conservatives' 2019 manifesto, Mr Sunak said: "I person already said I basal by the manifesto connected that."

The Tories' wide predetermination manifesto said the enactment would not enactment fracking unless the subject showed "categorically" that it could beryllium carried retired safely.

The PM's authoritative spokesperson aboriginal confirmed Mr Sunak was committed to this promise.

The past fewer weeks saw the near-total junking of Liz Truss's programme for government.

Today astatine Rishi Sunak's archetypal PMQs, it felt similar the past remaining remnants of her ideas were lobbed successful the skip.

So her flirtation with fracking successful England is junked, with the PM restoring a 2019 "moratorium" connected drilling for shale gas.

It was besides powerfully hinted that the authorities volition rise those benefits that don't automatically spell up with prices successful enactment with the complaint of inflation.

Liz Truss was tempted to enactment them up successful enactment with mean net instead.

So what astir pensions? Will they spell up successful enactment with spiralling prices too?

The premier minister's authoritative spokesperson was little categorical astir that, but the value of the manifesto was repeatedly referenced.

Mr Sunak has antecedently expressed enactment for fracking. Just a week agone helium voted against a Labour question to prohibition the practice.

Asked during a Tory enactment statement with Ms Truss successful July whether helium would enactment fracking, helium replied: "Yes, if section communities enactment it."

Labour's shadiness clime and nett zero caput Ed Miliband said: "Whatever their latest position, the information is that the Tories person shown that they cannot beryllium trusted connected the contented of fracking. The lone mode to warrant that fracking volition beryllium banned for bully is to elite a Labour government."

The determination was welcomed by biology groups, with Friends of the Earth describing it arsenic a "fantastic triumph for communal sense".

Sam Hall, manager of the Conservative Environment Network, said: "[Fracking] is unpopular, and fewer communities would o.k. fracking projects locally, meaning small oregon nary state would beryllium extracted, contempt the precocious governmental cost.

"Instead, the authorities should absorption connected gathering much inexpensive and fashionable renewables, including onshore upwind and star wherever determination is section support."

Chaos surrounding a ballot connected fracking, brought by Labour past week, contributed to Ms Truss's swift downfall, conscionable 44 days aft she took office.

Ministers denied carnal unit had been utilized to transportation colleagues to ballot with the government.

The authorities yet won the ballot with a bulk of 96, but 40 Tories did not instrumentality part.

The Scottish and Welsh governments proceed to reason fracking, and accidental they volition not usage their powers to assistance drilling licences.

In the past consent to statesman fracking has been fixed lone for 2 sites successful Lancashire, neither of which are present successful operation.