𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has branded the Government’s decision to announce the approval of the Jackdaw gas field to the media first as “shameful”. He also slammed Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh for failing to turn up to make a statement to the House of Commons on the issue.

Gas from the Jackdaw field will start flowing within weeks after the UK Government approved the project in an effort to improve domestic energy security and provide an economic boost. Ms Fahnbulleh sent a junior minister to the Commons to tell MPs on Wednesday instead, while she remained in Scotland following the broadcast round where she was interviewed by journalists for morning TV and radio programmes

Sir Lindsay said: “It is shameful that this announcement was not made to the House first, and it is an immense discourtesy to the House that the Secretary of State did not come here to make the statement. I’m sorry that Sky News is more important than the members of both sides. It is appalling treatment.”

He added: “I’m sorry that Aberdeen is more important than the MPs they’ve elected.”

Sir Lindsay had earlier said: “It is simply not good enough that it was trailed by the press last night and announced all over the media this morning by the Secretary of State before it could be properly scrutinised in this House.”

He added: “I’m sure there will be a leak inquiry, or is it that this department is deliberately briefing out to the media?”

Energy minister Michael Shanks, who was present in the chamber ahead of his statement on Jackdaw, said he would take the comments back to his department.

Mr Burnham was asked about the Government’s decision to approve the Jackdaw gas field in Prime Minister’s Questions. He said he had made a decision that the previous Tory government “messed up”.

Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had criticised the Labour Government for “dithering” for two and a half years to approve Jackdaw, as she called for Labour to repeal its ban on all new oil and gas licences.

“We have the resources, the expertise and the people,” she said. “What we have lost is the confidence to make tough decisions.”