A BRADFORD MP has backed Liz Truss' plans to lift the ban on fracking which was part of the Government's plan to cap energy bills.

As part of Thursday's government announcement by Liz Truss on an energy bills price cap of £2,500 for the typical household per year, she also said a moratorium on shale gas extraction (fracking) will come to an end.

Shipley MP Philip Davies said: "The Prime Minister is also right to focus on expanding our energy supplies to ensure that we are not put in this position in the future.

"I very much hope people will now focus on delivering the cheapest energy rather than being obsessed with whether or not it is the greenest energy.

"I welcome her announcement on pursuing fracking and I would also like to see coal being used much more - making the most of our natural resources.

"I am delighted the Prime Minister has agreed to freeze the unit cost of energy for households and businesses.

"The cost of doing so is astronomical but the cost of not doing so would have been even greater in the short, medium and long-term."

Cllr Matt Edwards, leader of the Green Party in Bradford, said: "Instead of real solutions to the energy crisis Liz Truss has chosen the headline-grabbing, easy route.

"Fracking will do nothing to reduce our dependence on gas and contrary to Mr Davies’s point, it is not the cheapest form of energy.

"In fact, fracking will take years to make us more dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices. I agree we should be investing in the cheapest form of energy – but that is also the greenest form – wind and solar which are considerably cheaper and "oven ready".

"Fracking also requires vast amounts of water to work and given the water supply issues that Mr Davies was complaining about only a few weeks ago this is an altogether confusing message.

"Nothing in the new Prime Minister's announcement does anything to tackle the obscene profits at the big energy companies."

Imran Hussain, MP for Bradford East, tweeted: "In March, the Chancellor said 'no amount of shale gas from wells across rural England would be enough to lower the European price (of energy) any time soon'. The Government isn't legalising fracking to help with energy bills. They're doing it to enrich their wealthy mates."

Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford Council, said: "We’ve long been calling for government action on energy bills, so first and foremost I welcome any new support for households and businesses who are facing spiralling costs. Doing nothing was not an option.

"However I do have concerns on whether the government’s plan is sufficiently targeted to support lower income families, who are facing such an incredibly difficult situation going into this winter and beyond.

"We must not forget this crisis comes after many years of slow economic growth under a Tory Government which already left many households struggling."

 

 

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