Green MP: 'Government has something to hide' over fracking

A Green Party MP has accused the government of having "something to hide" after the publication of a partly redacted analysis of the potential effects of fracking for shale gas.

Speaking on the Today programme, Caroline Lucas said the report "would be comical if it wasn't so serious because there is just so much of it that has been blacked out".

"The only conclusion you can draw from looking at this report is that the government has something to hide and I think we need to know what it is," she added.

Key parts of an official analysis, examining how the controversial technique might affect rural areas, including the effect on house prices, were redacted before publication.

In a statement, the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs told the BBC: "There is no evidence that house prices have been affected in over half a century of oil and gas exploration in the UK or evidence that this would be the case with shale.

"The government believes that shale has a positive part to play in our future energy mix."

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday 11 August.