Fiona Bruce Calls Out Minister For Refusing To Answer A Direct Question: ‘This Is Your Department!’

BBC Question Time’s Fiona Bruce called out an energy minister for refusing to answer a direction question about oil and gas on Thursday.

The government is facing intense pressure right now about the tensions between its bid to be a leader on tackling climate change and its mission to grow the economy.

Despite promising not to grant consent to any more oil or gasfields in the run up to the 2024 general election, prime minister Keir Starmer has said he will not obstruct licences which were granted by the previous government.

That has caused a stir as the Tory consent for the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gasfield was declared unlawful last week.

They now have to put forward new applications to seek government approval before production can begin – and the PM has already hinted he would not block either field.

And, on the BBC this week, energy minister Michael Shanks refused to say whether he thought the developments should go ahead.

However, he replied: “It’s wrong for me to comment because it is my department that will be making the decision – ”

Bruce said: “Surely that’s exactly why you should comment? Because it’s going to be down to you. So I am puzzled by that.”

The audience broke into a round of applause at that, while Bruce continued: “If it was something outside your department that would be one thing, but this is absolutely your department.”

Alluding to energy secretary Ed Miliband’s past opposition to such projects, she said: “Your boss is dead set against it. What is your position?”

Shanks said: “I think it’s the direct opposite in fact, because if you have a direct responsibility to making a decision that is not your political choice, it’s a quasi-judicial decision on a particular piece of environmental impact assessment.

“It’s really really important I don’t state a particular view so I’m not going to comment on those two cases, but I think there’s a wider point –”

But Bruce just hit back: “The question was very specific about those two things actually, which is why I was asking you.”