Poor tactics

SNP energy minister Fergus Ewing rails against UK government proposals regarding fracking (your report, 16 August), stating: “All the decisions taken about it should be taken by the people of Scotland through the parliament and government they elected.”

As Mr Ewing must be aware, this will be the case exactly as Scottish ministers have full control over the planning system in Scotland and have the powers to block any fracking proposals of which they disapprove.

In any event, an expert group commissioned by SNP ministers reported last month that there were no significant technological barriers to the development of an “unconventional” hydrocarbon industry and that the 
hydrocarbons could be extracted safely.

This is yet another example of attacking Westminster just for the sake of it and it is a tactic which merely loses the SNP credibility.

Donald Lewis

Beech Hill

Gifford, East Lothian