No fracking for Wales, promise by First Minister Mark Drakeford
Wales will not be following England in allowing the fracking of shale gas, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.
Prime Minister Liz Truss announced yesterday, September 8, that fracking for shale gas would recommence in England.
Speaking in Cardiff yesterday, September 8, First Minister Mark Drakeford stressed that Wales would not follow Prime Minister Liz Truss’s announcement that a ban on fracking will be lifted.
He said the Welsh Government would focus on renewable energy.
“Just for the sake of clarity to say that there will be no fracking available here in Wales; a way to create energy security for the future is to invest in renewable energy, in which Wales has such abundance, in that way we would not only create a secure supply affordable energy but we would do so in a way that was making a contribution to, and not in contradiction, of a climate crisis.”
Mr Drakeford said the Welsh Government would be drawing together a package of support for people in Wales during the current energy bills crisis, but stressed “the major levers remained in the hands of the UK Government”.
Following the Prime Minister’s energy cap announcement, he hit out at Liz Truss’s decision not to impose a windfall tax on energy companies, saying it will load the debt onto our children.
The Prime Minister’s two-year plan paid for by tens of billions of pounds of borrowing will save the typical household around £1,000 from October and protect billpayers from further expected rises over the coming months.
Fracking moratorium
There has been a moratorium on fracking in Wales since 2015.
Licensing powers transferred to Wales in 2018, and at COP26 the Welsh Government signed up to the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance to reject fracking or any new hydrocarbon developments.
However, the-then Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, Greg Hands, hinted in March that the UK Government may not respect the Welsh Government’s opinion on the matter if the ban on fracking was lifted.
The “idiotic” decision to grant Wales and Scotland devolution is partly to blame for the UK’s energy crisis because the Welsh and Scottish governments banned fracking, one of the Daily Mail’s regular columnists has previously claimed.
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I hope he will show as much good sense in rejecting nuclear
Well done Mr Drakeford! Fracking and expanding drilling for gas in the North Sea will make zero difference to the price of gas since any gas found will be sold on the open market. It is also a waste of capital that could be better spent on renewables of which there are apparently 650 shovel ready projects stalled for lack of funding or other issues. Whilst on the topic it is worth pointing out that Richard Murphy has a good article on his blog which explains why Blundertruss has made the wrong choice for funding the support for consumers. [https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2022/09/08/trusss-plan-to-borrow-to-spend-is-inexcusable-when-there-are-better-options-available/]… Read more »
Good to hear. But will the iron weathercock Liz Truss respect our First Minister Mark Drakeford or Welsh Government’s wish concerning Wales ban on fracking, or will she just repeal the Welsh law banned fracking as done with our 2017 Trade Union Wales Act? Time will tell. Would you trust a word any Tory says? I wouldn’t.
Nah!
Most promising licences for fracking lie between the M25 and the coast from Guildford across to Tunbridge Wells. Will they see drilling?
Probably as much chance in the Tory heartland of seeing the rigs in Weymouth Bay and off Sandbanks where the licences for oil exploration raised an eyebrow.
Mini nuclear if we can afford it , the workforce is our own and a product of our own universities. But Indy first. Then a public vote on such a divisive issue.
… a vote only after they publish the annual volume of uranium particles the reactors would discharge to the atmosphere
It was only a few weeks ago during his time in charge of business and energy, that Kwasi Kwarteng said there is nothing to gain from fracking, financial or energy wise, but still Truss moves forward with a plan her now chancellor stated was worthless. The goon show continues, even without the chief clown Bobo, sorry Boris, no change there.
A tenner says Truss will override the Welsh Government’s decision and the JCB’s will move in. She’ll get her own way, and this will be a plot-changer in the developing constitutional war between Cardiff Bay and Westminster. There’s more to come.