Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp will not further reduce the extraction of natural gas from under Groningen province, despite calls for cuts from local officials and MPs, broadcaster Nos says on Friday.

A large number of MPs say the volume of gas targeted for extraction this year should be cut to 30 billion cubic metres because of the risk of earthquakes. Production was cut over 7% to 39 billion cubic metres at the end of last year.

That level was set by the state mine service to cut the earthquake risk. In 2012, 49 billion cubic metres of gas was extracted.

There is growing unhappiness with the government’s position in Groningen itself, where hundreds of homes and other buildings have been damaged by the quakes. Some 40,000 homes have been earmarked for structural improvements.

The gas is an important source of revenue for the government.