Too early to say if fracking is good for the UK, says task force

Report says exploring for shale gas in the UK could be made safe, provided it is tightly regulated and monitored

It is too soon to say whether shale gas fracking would be a "good thing" for the UK, the chief of the task force on shale gas has said. Lord Smith of Finsbury, better known as former Labour MP Chris Smith, said the industry had not been transparent enough and that it would take time to reassure the public about the technology.

But Smith said that fracking would be acceptable if certain conditions were met, including a tightening of regulations and monitoring set out in a report from the taskforce on Wednesday. The report found that fracking was safe, for human health and the environment, but only if properly regulated.