DAVID Cameron would be ‘very happy’ for fracking to come to Witney, he has told a Parliament committee.

The Prime Minister and Witney MP made the comment while giving evidence to the House of Commons Liaison Committee on Tuesday.

Thirsk and Malton MP Anne McIntosh, a committee member, said: “With the greatest respect, Prime Minister, it is not coming to Witney any time soon.” But Mr Cameron responded: “I would be very happy if it did.”

His comments came after he told the committee that fracking in the UK should be done in a “very calm, rational, sensible and scientifically based way.”

The practice – hydraulic fracturing – involves drilling into the ground and pumping water, sand and chemicals into rock to fracture it, releasing gas and oil.

The Government has issued more than 175 licences for onshore oil and gas exploration in the UK in a number of “rounds.”

In the 14th round, a large part of South Oxfordshire, an area north of Oxford and a small area by Westwell, West Oxfordshire, are included.

In June environmental protesters targeted the Prime Minister’s home in Dean to complain about proposals to allow fracking under homes.

But Mr Cameron told the committee on Tuesday: “If shale gas can be recovered safely in an environmentally protected way and if local communities can benefit, we should do it.”

 

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