THE ban on fracking for shale gas domestically may need to be reviewed in light of the war in Ukraine, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has suggested.
In an exclusive interview with Liam Halligan on GB News, Mr Gove said a decision on overturning the ban was “above his pay grade”.
He added: “I do think that in light of the war in Ukraine, we do need to look at energy policy overall and the Prime Minister and Kwasi [Kwarteng] have.
“I think we do need to recognise that hydrocarbons are going to have to be part of our energy future for some time to come.
“Obviously, we want to transition towards more energy coming from renewables, we need to invest in hydrogen technology, we need more nuclear as part of the mix as well.
“But you are right to point out that because of the situation in Ukraine and indeed because of broader insecurities in the world economy and in the energy markets, we do need to look to our own shores to see what more we can do domestically in order to diversify our energy supply.”
The ban on fracking was introduced by the Government in November 2019 after the Oil and Gas Authority said it was not possible to predict the probability of earth tremors with current technology.
Asked about abolishing VAT and suspending renewable subsidies on energy bills, Mr Gove said: “Well they are both intriguing propositions but I’m going to shamelessly duck the question on the basis that these are really matters for the PM, the business secretary and the chancellor.
“They’re all much smarter than me, much more across the detail of all of those questions, and they wouldn’t thank me if I were to start outlining what VAT policy or what for that matter renewables policy would be.
“I know it’s always irritating when politicians don’t answer the question directly, but I’m not really allowed to venture into that territory.”
Mr Gove said he has changed his mind on the character of the Prime Minister and said he made a mistake when he withdrew his support for him some years ago.
He said: “I withdrew my support for Boris in 2016 and with the benefit of hindsight, that was a mistake
“I think that I should have supported him throughout that leadership election. I voted for Boris in 2019 when there was a straightforward choice between Boris and Jeremy Hunt, but…I thought that Boris was the right person at that point, to be Prime Minister.
“And I think he’s the right person to be Prime Minister now and well into the future.”
