YORK MP Julian Sturdy has spoken against House of Lords calls to “streamline” regulations on fracking for shale gas.

Mr Sturdy was responding to calls from the cross-party House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee, which said the Government should change the law so shale gas exploration could be speeded up.

The MP said: “It is essential that we take the necessary steps to safeguard our communities and agricultural land around the outskirts of York, and so I would exercise caution over calls to speed up the process.”