‘Follow SNP lead and rule out fracking’, urges MP

An SNP MP has called on the government to “finally follow Scotland’s lead and rule out fracking” across the UK.

Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) argued in the Commons that “if we’re going to be serious about the climate emergency, then there should not be fracking anywhere in the UK”.

Minister for universities, science, research and innovation Chris Skidmore replied that in the last quarter of 2018 just 2.5 per cent of electricity was generated by coal in comparison to 40 per cent back in 2010.

He said: “We’re going in the right direction, but we can’t forget the fact that we will be using gas in Scotland.”

Labour’s Geraint Davies said Nasa and satellite data showed that 5 per cent of the methane from fracking was leaked through fugitive emissions.