Queen’s Speech: Moves to speed up exploration for shale gas

Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs are expected to raise concerns over changes to laws which will make it easier to use the process known as fracking under people’s homes.

The new Infrastructure Bill could include measures to change the law so that companies would not need permission from homeowners to drill under houses and land for shale oil and gas.

It is intended to remove a stumbling block for shale developers, who are already facing a “legal block” of thousands of people across the country denying them permission under trespass laws to drill under their properties.