MSPs to strengthen ban on fracking after Holyrood vote

A beefed-up fracking ban was last night overwhelming passed by MSPs as the Scottish Parliament voted to outlaw the controversial energy extraction technique.

Anti fracking protest outside Scottish Parliament. Picture:Greg Macvean

MSPs voted by 91 votes to 28 with the Scottish Conservatives offering the only resistance to the Scottish Government’s plan to ensure that fracking does not take place in Scotland.

SNP, Labour, Lib Dem and Green MSPs united to pass amendments to the Scottish Government’s original motion, which will strengthen the ban by writing it into the National Planning Framework.

Anti fracking protest outside Scottish Parliament. Picture:Greg Macvean

The ban’s inclusion in the National Planning Framework will enable licensing powers, devolved last year, to put the ban into law when they come into force.

It also means that any attempt to reverse the ban would have to secure Holyrood support and could not be done at the behest of a Government minister.

Amendments from Labour and the Greens which called for the ban to be included in the National Planning Framework were passed.

Anti fracking protest outside Scottish Parliament. Picture:Greg Macvean

Labour environment spokeswoman Claudia Beamish said: “Labour’s amendment ensures MSPs will get proper oversight over how the ban is being implemented.

“This will allow us to continue to hold the SNP to account so we can guarantee no fracking will take place in Scotland. It will also ensure this ban cannot be overturned without a full parliamentary vote.”

Mark Ruskell of the Green Party said: “Putting the ban into the National Planning Framework will ensure that the democratic will of parliament will remain, even if there is a change of government. It will put the ban on the same footing as the ban on new nuclear power stations, providing direction on a national strategic issue, extending the ban beyond the life of this current parliament while giving guidance to local authorities for the next fifteen to twenty years.”

But the Conservative shadow finance spokesman Murdo Fraser accused the Scottish Government of “sheer hypocrisy” on the issue.

“Even though the nationalists seek to ban fracking, we will continue to see fracked gas from elsewhere imported to Scotland to heat our homes and power our industry,” Mr Fraser said.

“What the SNP is saying is that it’s happy to import fracked gas from anywhere in the world at great environmental cost and where the safeguards may be much less, but it doesn’t want it in our back yard.”