The All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Gas and Oil
We learned today that Dan Byles has appointed Lee Petts, managing director at waste and environmental management specialists Remsol and occasional Cuadrilla advocate to the All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Gas and Oil (APPGUGO)
http://www.lep.co.uk/news/business/remsol-appointed-to-government-group-1-5881841
Now Mr Petts is a likeable enough chap for a pro-fracker and we can understand that politicians do require expert advice from industry to help form opinions, but in a democracy any influential body like the APPGUGO should surely be balanced. If they are going to effectively give the industry a seat on the committee shouldn’t they be giving a seat to a representative of the many people who are very concerned about the impact of shale gas on communities. They could for example invite local industry expert Mike Hill to take a place. Have they done so? It would appear not.
Mr Byles tell us
“It’s essential to have companies like Remsol involved in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Gas and Oil because I want to see a vibrant domestic UK shale gas supply chain develop and companies like Remsol are at the forefront of devloping that supply chain”
We have to laugh – how is it essential that an APPG has an interested party invited to belong to it? Only in Mr Byles’ world could this be seen as essential rather than – rather more plausibly – packing the committee with tame supporters.
The group can hardly be seen to a balanced body as is pointed out by the Carbon Brief website
http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2013/02/parliaments-new-fracking-group
If any niggling doubts remain it’s funding make it pretty clear that it is perhaps unlikely to draw any conclusions which are over critical of the nascent shale gas industry.
Under BENEFITS RECEIVED BY GROUP FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT we read at
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/unconventional-oil-and-gas.htm
Edelman (a consultancy) acts as the group’s secretariat. £1200 from Ground Gas Solutions (registered May 2013). £3000 from Cuadrilla (registered June 2013).
Edelman PR until 2012 at least, were Chevron Europe’s PR Company – a huge account in the PR world.
Chevron is reviewing its seven-figure European PR assignment amid opposition to its controversial plans to step up ‘fracking’ in the region. The Holmes Report understands that the energy giant has initiated an online procurement-led review of the account, which is currently handled by global incumbent Edelman.
We cant see whether they retained the account or not.
Ground Gas Solutions are a service company with an interest in shale gas going ahead in the UK
http://ground-gassolutions.co.uk/services/shale-gas
And Cuadrilla hardly need any introductions here do they?
We shall look forward to seeing whether Mr Byles’ uses conclusions from this group to support of his own views on shale gas. Watch this space.
(By the way did you know our own MP, Mark Menzies is one of the Vice Chairs of the group – LOL)
