PRIME Minister Liz Truss's measures to cap energy price rises have been broadly welcomed by East Lancashire politicians although opinion is split on putting fracking back on the agenda.

Her new Energy Price Guarantee will mean typical households will pay no more than £2,500 per year for their energy bills until 2024.

Prices will also be capped for businesses for six months.

Blackburn Labour MP Kate Hollern said: "The statement leaves families with the bill for that price freeze – locking them into higher bills now and for decades to come. The Prime Minister could have made the oil and gas producers pay by clawing back the unearned, unexpected profits they are making from this crisis.

"The government's moratorium on fracking in 2019 was informed by a report into seismic activity at Preston New Road. It presents clear dangers to our local communities and environment and will not deliver sufficient volumes now to ease the pressure on households."

Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Cllr Phil Riley said: "It is a piece of progress that the government has accepted the need for intervention on this scale.

"Fracking is a very clumsy way of continuing our reliance on fossil fuels.

"How long will it take before recommencing fracking an encouraging drilling in the North Sea for hard-to-get oil and gas have any impact?"

Cllr John Slater, leader of the borough's Conservative group said: "It is a well thought out strategic package.

"I am totally opposed to fracking. It is environmentally unsound.

"She has promised it will only go ahead with the support of local communities. I don't think many will support it."

Rossendale and Darwen MP and new Conservative Party chairman Jake Berry defended the decision not to impose a windfall tax on energy firms' profit and to lift the moratorium on fracking.

He said “We are asking those companies to invest those profits in creating new wind farms and gas fields in the North Sea.

“A windfall tax would stop that investment.

“I’ve always been clear that I think fracking is a good thing but it does require community consent. This will only come forward when it is proven as a safe technology."

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said: "Householders on low fixed incomes including pensioners could not afford these soaring costs and therefore it is important that they are given some certainty about how much of their low incomes will be needed to pay for heating, cooking and lighting."

Hyndburn Tory MP Sara Britcliffe said: "I am pleased that the government has announced a raft of measures to help residents with their energy bills. I know this will come as a relief to many."

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson said, “I warmly welcome the rapid action to tackle rapidly rising energy costs.

“The Prime Minister also backed my call to accelerate construction of Small Modular Reactors. Rolls-Royce’s two Barnoldswick sites stand to benefit from the additional work this would create."

Burnley Conservative MP Antony Higginbotham said: "This clear plan of action will shield residents and businesses right across our area. Fixing the underlying structural problems is also essential - including using more of our own oil and gas and getting that out of the ground."