All-Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas

This article is part of the Spinwatch Fracking Portal and project

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas was set up in February 2013 and states that it 'was formed to provide a forum for transparent, evidence based discussion around the issue of unconventional oil and gas development in the UK'.^[1]

Activities

Hosting seminars, lectures and events covering topical issues relating to unconventional oil and gas
Holding evidence sessions and publishing reports
Acting as a central point of reference on unconventional oil and gas through our website and e-bulletin
Commenting on relevant issues in the media and public forums

Events

December 2013: APPG meeting on the impact on climate change of shale gas development: looking at the effects of shale gas exploration on climate change, focusing on the compatibility of shale gas production and the UK’s climate change targets. Held on 2 December at 5pm in Committee Room 9 in the Houses of Parliament. Speakers include David Kennedy, Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, and Dr John Broderick, Research Fellow for the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

People

Parliamentary officers, Feb and April 2016

Chair: Nigel Mills MP | Vice-chair: Jim Fitzpatrick MP | Vice-chair: David Nuttall | Vice-chair: David Mowat ^[2] ^[3]^[4]^[5]

Parliamentary officers, July 2015

Chair: Nigel Mills MP | Vice-chair: Jim Fitzpatrick MP | Vice-chair: Kevin Hollinrake MP | Vice-chair: David Nuttall MP |^[6] (Kevin Hollinrake resigned from the vice-chair role in January 2016 after pressure from his constituents over industry funding of the APPGUOG.)

Parliamentary officers, May 2015

Chair: Nigel Mills MP | Vice-chair: Charles Hendry MP | Vice-chair: Chris Pincher MP | Vice-chair: Steve Baker MP |^[7]

Parliamentary officers, May 2013

Chair: Dan Byles MP | Vice-chair: Charles Hendry MP | Vice-chair: Chris Pincher MP | Vice-chair: John Robertson MP | Vice-chair: Nigel Mills MP | Vice-chair: Steve Baker MP | Vice-chair: Tessa Munt MP^[8]

Former officers

Vice-chair: Mark Menzies MP | Vice-chair: Tessa Munt MP (2013 - May 2015) | Vice-chair: John Robertson MP | (2013 - May 2015)

Members 2013 - May 2015

Government Party: Dan Byles – Con | Mark Menzies – Con | Charles Hendry – Con | Tessa Munt – LD | Chris Pincher – Con | Nigel Mills – Con | Steve Baker – Con | Chris Heaton-Harris – Con | James Wharton – Con | Jack Lopresti – Con
Main Opposition Party: John Robertson | Jim Fitzpatrick | John Spellar | Brian H. Donohoe | Albert Owen | Ian Lavery | Angela C. Smith | Thomas Docherty | Graham Stringer
Other: Jeffrey Donaldson - DUP^[9]

Benefits received by the group from outside Parliament

August 2014 - November 2014

Hill and Knowlton Strategies (a consultancy) acts as the group’s secretariat - took over from Edelman sometime after May 2014.

Associate membership fees received – £1200 from Ground Gas Solutions (registered May 2013); £3000 from Cuadrilla, £3000 from Ove Arup & Partners; £3000 from Statoil, £10,000 from INEOS (registered June 2013), £5000 from UK Onshore Operators Group, £3000 from Centrica, £3000 from The Weir Group (registered July 2013). £2500 from Costain Natural Resources (registered August 2013). £1000 from Petrafiz, £2500 from Mitsubishi, £2500 from Calor Gas Limited, £2500 from Shell International, £1000 from CNG Services, £1000 from 3Legs Resources, £2500 from Savills UK, £2500 from Total Holdings UK Ltd, £2500 from Essar Oil, £2500 from Peel Environmental Ltd, £2500 from MWH Ltd, £1000 from K&L Gates LLP, £1000 Norwest Holdings, £2500 from Essar Oil, £2500 from Igas Energy Plc, £1000 from SLR Consulting Ltd, £1000 from Quatre Ltd, £2500 from Squire Sanders, £2500 from Eversheds, £1000 from "Shale Gas World" (Registered November 2013). £2500 from Macquarie Capital, £2500 from GrowHow, £2500 from Berwin Leighton Paisner (registered December 2013). £2500 from Costain and £2500 from Macfarlanes LLP (registered January 2014). £2500 from ASCO Group (registered February 2014). £2500 from Hydrock, £2500 from Tata Steel, £2500 from RPS Group, £2500 from Schlumberger Oilfield, £2500 from Lloyd’s Register, £2500 from ESB Asset Development, £2500 from Reactive Downhole Tools Limited, £8000 from URS, £5060 from Dow Chemical, £5000 from Energy and Utilities Alliance (registered March 2014). £2500 from Centrica (registered April 2014). £3000 from Igas Energy PLC (registered May 2014). £2500 from each of the following Ove Arup International, atg UV Technology, Clear Solutions, Whessoe, and Terrafirma Roadways (registered May 2014).

Cortona Resources

March 2015

Hill and Knowlton Strategies (a consultancy) acts as the group’s secretariat

Associate membership fees received - £2500 from ASCO Group (registered February 2014). £2500 from Hydrock, £2500 from Tata Steel, £2500 from RPS Group, £2500 from Schlumberger Oilfield, £2500 from Lloyd’s Register, £2500 from ESB Asset Development, £2500 from Reactive Downhole Tools Limited, £8000 from URS, £5060 from Dow Chemical, £5000 from Energy and Utilities Alliance (registered March 2014). £2500 from Centrica (registered April 2014). £3000 from Igas Energy PLC (registered May 2014). £2500 from each of the following Ove Arup International, atg UV Technology, Clear Solutions, Whessoe, and Terrafirma Roadways (registered May 2014). ^[10]

September 2015

November 2015

February 2016

March 2016

Hill and Knowlton act as the group's secretariat. (Registered February 2016) £5,000 from Energy and Utilities Alliance | £2,916 from Eversheds LLP ^[4]

Associate members

The group's website explains that:

Alongside its Parliamentary Members, the APPG brings together Associate Members drawn from the energy industry, energy-intensive users, environmental organisations, consumer groups and universities and academic institutions. These Associate Members contribute valuable opinions and expertise to the APPG.

Being an Associate Member of the APPG does not necessarily signify support for or opposition to developing unconventional oil or gas, but rather a desire to see an evidence-based debate. The Associate Members are drawn from across the spectrum of views.

As an All-Party Parliamentary Group, the APPG does not grant voting rights to Associate Members. Membership is at the discretion of the Officers of the APPG. For further details on how to apply for membership please email appgunconventionaloilandgas@edelman.com. However, the majority of events hosted by the APPG are open to the public, so please come along and make your voice heard. Sign up for our e-bulletin to keep informed. Further details will follow. ^[14]

Members as at April 2016

Members as at February 2016

Members as at July 2015

Members as at March 2014

atg UV Technology | Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Economic Development Company | Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association (FFBRA) | No FiBS (No Fracking in Balcombe Society) | Peter van der Borgh | Professor Stuart Haszeldine OBE |

Advisory Membership Panel

The APPG's website states that:

The Group is overseen by an independent Advisory Panel of eight experts drawn from across the Associate Membership to provide specialist knowledge and guidance, and support the work of the Group. The views of the Advisory Panel represent a broad spectrum and do not indicate either support for or opposition to unconventional oil and gas.

Original members

INEOS | Consumer Futures | Professor Richard Davies | Peter Atherton | PwC | UK Onshore Operators Group | WWF-UK | Institute of Directors ^[19]

Contact

Lobbying firm Edelman's address was given until December 2014: appgunconventionaloilandgas@edelman.com. Hill & Knowlton Strategies have managed the APPG and acted as a contact point since around August 2014.

Resources

See Powerbase investigation: Fracking lobbying firms

See Powerbase investigation: Fracking Spads

Melissa Jones and Andy Rowell, Access all areas: Westminster's (vast) fracking lobby exposed, 29 April 2015.
Energy Minister reveals more than 300 UK fracking sites given green light, ClickGreen, 15 May 2013.
Priyanka Shrestha, MPs lobby group denies fracking funding, 23 August 2013.

Notes

↑ About the APPG, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 9 September 2013.
↑ fix ref original dates
↑ Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG Officers, parliament.uk, accessed 11 February 2016
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, parliament.uk, accessed 26 April 2016
↑ Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, Register 28 April 2016, parliament.uk, accessed 11 May 2016
↑ Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed August 2015.
↑ Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed June 2015.
↑ Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 9 September 2013.
↑ REGISTER OF ALL-PARTY GROUPS (As at 24 July 2013), UK Parliament.
↑ Register Of All-Party Groups [as at 30 January 2015] Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 24 March 2015
↑ Register of All-Party Groups as at 29 September 2015,www.parliament.uk, accessed 30 September 2015
↑ Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 November 2015
↑ Unconventional Oil & Gas contributors, www.parliament.uk, accessed 11 February 2016
↑ Associate Members, APPG
↑ APPG Associate Members July 2016APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 26 April 2016
↑ APPG Associate Members July 2015APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 11 February 2016
↑ APPG Associate Members July 2015APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 29 September 2015
↑ As at 18 March 2014
↑ Advisory Membership Panel, APPG Unconventional Oil and Gas website, undated, acc 25 June 2014

[1] About the APPG, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 9 September 2013.

[2] x ref original dates

[3] Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG Officers, parliament.uk, accessed 11 February 2016

[March16-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, parliament.uk, accessed 26 April 2016

[5] Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, Register 28 April 2016, parliament.uk, accessed 11 May 2016

[6] Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed August 2015.

[7] Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed June 2015.

[8] Parliamentary Members, All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 9 September 2013.

[Register24July2013-9] REGISTER OF ALL-PARTY GROUPS (As at 24 July 2013), UK Parliament.

[10] Register Of All-Party Groups [as at 30 January 2015] Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 24 March 2015

[11] Register of All-Party Groups as at 29 September 2015,www.parliament.uk, accessed 30 September 2015

[12] Unconventional Oil & Gas APPG, www.parliament.uk, accessed 25 November 2015

[13] Unconventional Oil & Gas contributors, www.parliament.uk, accessed 11 February 2016

[14] Associate Members, APPG

[15] APPG Associate Members July 2016APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 26 April 2016

[16] APPG Associate Members July 2015APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 11 February 2016

[17] APPG Associate Members July 2015APPG on Unconventional Oil and Gas, accessed 29 September 2015

[18] As at 18 March 2014

[19] Advisory Membership Panel, APPG Unconventional Oil and Gas website, undated, acc 25 June 2014

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