ACCORDING to the Land Registry guidance on historical rights, published on September 8, 2014, in parts of England and Wales it is fairly common that someone owns the surface of the land but someone else owns the land below the surface (often called mines and minerals).

The Government has initiated their authority to give the go ahead to fracking nationally with the lame environmental health excuse that “it’s like a new drug - we have to trial it first”.

New York banned fracking on the grounds of serious risk to public health following a rigorous six-year study. France, Holland, Bulgaria, Tasmania and Victoria (Australia) have all banned fracking due to public health concerns too.

Our overstretched NHS surely has enough on its plate without additional health concerns.

Senior Government officials are also warning the elderly must take responsibility for looking after themselves.

So when house prices drop due to fracking and two thirds of insurance markets will not insure against fracking damage, when the elderly are expected to sell their homes for care home fees, will the Government compensate for the deficit in house values?

Who is going to be responsible for a public health disaster induced by the Government’s railroad introduction of fracking nationally as a “trial drug”.

Julie Burton, Park Lane, Bishop Wilton, York