Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, has welcomed the news that the Scottish Government has announced that it will not support the development of Unconventional Oil and Gas in Scotland, meaning there is an effective ban on fracking in Scotland.
Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy, Paul Wheelhouse told MSPs the decision followed an extensive period of evidence gathering, public engagement, and dialogue on the issue.
The Scottish Government’s cautious, evidence-led approach to unconventional oil and gas included a four-month public consultation which received over 60,000 responses.
Overall, approximately 99% of the consultation responses were opposed to fracking and fewer than 1% were in favour.