Infrastructure Bill — New Clause 9 — Moratorium on Onshore Unconventional Petroleum — Review Impacts of Exploitation — 26 Jan 2015 at 17:30

The majority of MPs voted not to ban the exploitation of unconventional petroleum (including "fracking") for at least 18 months and not to require a review of the impact of such exploitation on climate change, the environment, the economy, and health and safety be carried out and published.

MPs were considering the Infrastructure Bill^[1]

The proposed new clause rejected in this vote was:

• ‘(1) All use of land for development consisting of the exploitation of unconventional petroleum in Great Britain shall be discontinued during the relevant period.
• (2) The Secretary of State must ensure that an independent assessment is undertaken of the exploitation of unconventional petroleum in Great Britain including the use of high volume hydraulic fracturing.
• (3) The assessment must take account of the impacts of the exploitation of the unconventional petroleum on—
• (a) climate change;
• (b) the environment;
• (c) health and safety; and
• (d) the economy.
• (4) The Secretary of State must—
• (a) consult such persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit; and
• (b) publish the assessment within the relevant period.
• (5) For the purposes of subsections (1) to (4)—
• “relevant period” means a period of not less than 18 months and not more than 30 months commencing on the date two months after Royal Assent;
• “unconventional petroleum” means petroleum which does not flow readily to the wellbore.
• (6) In section 3 of the Petroleum Act 1998, at the end of subsection (4) add “and subsection (4A).
• “(4A) Nothing in this section permits the grant of a licence to search and bore for and get unconventional petroleum in Great Britain during the relevant period.
• (4B) For the purposes of subsection (4A) “relevant period” and “unconventional petroleum” have the meaning specified in section [Moratorium on onshore unconventional petroleum] of the Infrastructure Act 2015.”

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Infrastructure Bill

Debate in Parliament | Source |