Rishi Sunak has announced that a ban on fracking will be reintroduced in England.

The Prime Minister was asked about the issue by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas during Prime Minister's Questions and said the moratorium on fracking would come back in.

Later on a spokesperson from Downing Street confirmed this move would be taking place.

Mr Sunak said he "stands by" the Conservative Party manifesto from 2019 which set out an effective ban on fracking.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss had said that the ban on fracking would be lifted in areas where it was wanted, as she argued it would strengthen the country's energy supply.

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Mr Sunak's move has seen criticism come in from Labour over the inconsistency of the Tory position on fracking.

Shadow climate secretary Ed Miliband said: “Last week Rishi Sunak voted against Labour’s fracking ban, but this week his spokespeople tell us he is in favour of the temporary moratorium on fracking in the Conservative manifesto.

“Whatever their latest position, the truth is that the Tories have shown that they cannot be trusted on the issue of fracking. The only way to guarantee that fracking will be banned for good is to elect a Labour government.

READ MORE: What is fracking? Prime Minister Liz Truss set to lift ban as part of major energy update

“And by doubling down today on the onshore wind ban, Rishi Sunak is showing that he offers more of the same after 12 years of failed Conservative energy policy, which has made energy bills too high for families and weakened Britain’s energy security.”

What is fracking?

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique for recovering gas and oil from shale rock.

It is the process where liquid is pumped deep underground at a high pressure to fracture shale rock as a means of releasing the gas or oil trapped within it.

The wells can be drilled either vertically or horizontally to release the gas.

Its name refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high-pressure mixture.

The process has been controversial as injecting fluid at high pressure into the rock can cause tremors in the Earth