WEAVER Vale's MP has again called for the Government to put an end to fracking in the UK.

Mike Amesbury told a Commons debate on environment and climate change that the Government was facing a climate change 'emergency'.

Addressing SNP MP Deirdre Block in Westminster on May 1, he said: "Does the honourable Lady agree that one of the concrete actions that the Government could take to respond to this emergency is to ban fracking throughout the UK?"

Ms Block said the Scottish Government had indeed taken action, which should be taken further across the UK.

She added: "There is no place for fracking anywhere, in my opinion."

Speaking outside the chamber, Mike said the UK should take note of fellow European countries' actions.

He said: "The threat to our environment has been in the news a lot lately, and one thing which to my mind poses a huge danger to that environment is fracking.

"Once again in the Commons I've called on the government to follow in the footsteps of countries such as Germany, France and the Republic of Ireland, put the needs of ordinary people and our precious environment ahead of the demands of big business – and put an end to fracking in this country."

As reported by the Guardian earlier this year, INEOS retains its licences for fracking operations in the Northwich area, although there are no immediate plans for a start date.

INEOS was granted licence to explore the area for shale gas extraction in 2015, although its operations since then have focused largely on the Midlands.

An INEOS spokesman said: “We have licenses in the Northwich area but no active shale operations at the moment.

“INEOS has continued to focus on its shale business in the Midlands where last year it completed the largest onshore 3D seismic survey ever undertaken in the UK.

“Since then we have continued to progress planning applications to take core samples of the shale 2km below the surface and to progress consented drilling opportunities with partners, also in the Midlands. These wells will give us a good indication of the potential reserves of gas.

“We continue to take a considered science-based approach to all our activities, whilst communicating with local communities living and working close to our operations.”

INEOS has lalled on the government to increase the shale seismicity limit from an ‘unworkable’ 0.5 on the Richter scale to a ‘more sensible’ level.