To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what inter-Departmental discussions he has had in regard to bringing forward legislative proposals to implement a statutory ban on all current and future fossil fuel exploration, including fracking.

My Department is working with the Department for Economy (DfE) as part of a cross departmental steering committee to manage a research project, commissioned by DfE, into the potential economic, societal and environmental impacts of the development of both conventional and unconventional onshore oil and gas resources in NI.

It is my understanding that the outputs, from this research project, will be used by DfE to inform the development of the NI policy on conventional and unconventional oil and gas exploration and development, including fracking.