Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has called for Holyrood to regulate fracking north of border.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has insisted Scotland must have powers to control fracking under the new devolution agreement being drawn-up following independence the referendum.
He has officially objected to a UK Government plan to remove the rights of householders to oppose oil and gas drilling and hydraulic fracking beneath their homes.
The MSP for Inverness and Nairn wants key powers relating to the issue devolved to Scotland as part of the ongoing devolution process being handled by Lord Smith’s commission.
He said that would allow unconventional oil and gas exploration to be considered in a “cautious” way, as opposed to the “gung-ho” approach of Westminster.
“We strongly believe that decisions on oil and gas drilling should be made by the people who live in Scotland, through the parliament and government they elected,” Mr Ewing said.
“UK Government proposals to remove the right of Scottish householders to object to drilling under their homes, without so much as debate in the Scottish Parliament, flies in the face of Scotland’s cautious, considered and evidence-based approach on this issue.
“It is also fundamentally an issue affecting land ownership rights.”
Scotland must have powers to control fracking under new devolution
