John Healey
John Healey is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Wentworth and Dearne since 1997, and former minister of state for Housing and Planning.
Healey is former shadow secretary of state for health, minister of state at the Department for Communities and Local Government, financial secretary at the HM Treasury as well as former parliamentary under-secretary for the Department for Education. [1]
In the 2015, Healey was re-elected with a majority of 14,838. [2]
Following the 2015 leadership election, Healey is currently serving as Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning having worked this portfolio during Gordon Brown's premiership. [3]
Stance on fracking
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This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project |
Healey's constituency includes three oil and gas licence blocks, awarded by the Oil and Gas Authority under the 14th licensing round in 2015. One shale license was awarded to INEOS, one to IGas and one to Cuadrilla. There are plans for three shale wells, one hrz frac well and 2D and 3D seismic surveying; no applications are currently underway. [4]
In November 2015, Healy met with CEO of Cuadrilla Francis Egan. Healy said of the meeting:
- 'Local people are understandably concerned after the government announced out of the blue in August that it was issuing these fracking licences. They are rushing ahead, not taking warnings seriously and have watered down environmental and safety standards that Labour pushed for in the Commons. People have got tough questions about any prospect of fracking in our area, and I will be raising these with Cuadrilla.' [5]
Voting record
Healey has a mixed voting record on fracking. [6]
- 26 January 2015: voted in favour of making fracking companies apply for an environmental permit before conducting exploratory drilling. He was absent for a vote on an amendment to the Infrastructure Bill to include an 18 month moratorium on fracking.
- 11 February 2015: voted against requiring more pre-conditions for where fracking can take place.
- 16 December 2015: voted against weakening regulations on fracking in protected areas and national parks.
Notes
- ↑ Rt Hon John Healey MP www.parliament.org.uk, accessed 24 October 2014
- ↑ John Healey Express, accessed 15 May 2015
- ↑ Who's who in Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet BBC News, Accessed 16 September 2015
- ↑ Oil and gas: licensing rounds, GOV.uk, accessed 14 November 2016.
- ↑ MPs to meet fracking company boss, MP's website, 29 October 2015, accessed 28 December 2016.
- ↑ TheyWorkForYou | John Healey, TheyWorkForYou, accessed 28 December 2016.
