May "I completely back fracking" but not in her own constituency

Prime Minister Theresa May today insisted the planned roll-out of fracking across vast swathes of Yorkshire will be both safe and financially beneficial to local communities.

Speaking exclusively to The Yorkshire Post, Mrs May said the process of extracting shale gas from rocks deep underground will reduce the nation’s reliance on imported energy while residents nearby will potentially be able to claim a share of £10m community funds.

Seven companies have Government licences to explore large parts of Yorkshire to see if fracking is feasible. The technique has not been used in the UK since 2011 after it was deemed to have been the cause of earth tremors in Lancashire.

When asked what reassurances she could give people in Yorkshire living close to planned fracking sites, she said: “Shale gas extraction is important because of the impact it can have on our future energy security, which is important for us as a country.

“On the safety side, we have got a very good regulatory regime and very safe regime that has been put in place to deal with this.”

In response to concerns about the potential impact on house prices after a draft Government report suggested in 2015 that property values may drop by seven per cent, Mrs May highlighted the creation of a £1bn ‘shale wealth fund’ which will see money given to affected communities to spend how they wish.

“One of the things I was very clear about at an early stage is that I wanted to make sure that local communities could benefit more from when shale gas extraction takes place in their areas, hence the wealth fund that has been created,” she said.

“There is the opportunity for local communities to be able to decide how that money is spent to the benefit of their local area.”

The fund was first announced by former Chancellor George Osborne in November 2015 but after Mrs May became Prime Minister in August 2016, she announced plans to change a consultation on the scheme to include the option of making payments directly to local residents instead of going to councils and local authorities.

But critics said at the time the proposal amounted to “little more than bribes”.

She was asked repeatedly would she have fracking in her own constituency or near her home and she refused to answer every time.