In a recent exchange in the House of Commons, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps criticised the viewpoint opposing new oil and gas licences, referring to it as a “bonkers policy.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas had raised concerns about the government’s plans to expand domestic oil and gas production while urging a focus on reducing demand instead.

Lucas highlighted a report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, which indicated that imports of gas would continue to rise significantly unless demand was addressed.

Caroline Lucas said: “So will the government finally do what’s needed – rule out new licences and instead commit to measures to genuinely make the UK energy secure, including a nationwide street by street home insulation programme, unblocking onshore wind and installing new solar on evert roof?”

Grant Shapps replied: “We’ve gone from 14% of our homes being insulated under the previous government to nearly 50%, it will be 50% this year. We’ve got an energy task force set up to reduce the usage of energy and make it more efficient.

“But I have to say that her party and the official opposition’s policy of importing all of the oil and gas that we require by not providing new licences is simply insane. It means that every single family in Britain would be subject to the next tyrant like Putin.

“It means that the carbon use would be double that which is taken from the North Sea. It is bonkers policy.”