THE Scottish Government may be about to announce a total ban on fracking.
Holyrood currently has a moratorium on the controversial energy recovery technique, and this summer held an eight-week consultation on the issue which closed in June.
Earlier today a statement appeared on - then quickly disappeared from - the Scottish Parliament website clarifying that the Government would tomorrow confirm a "final policy position of no support for unconventional oil and gas".
Spoiler alert for tomorrow's fracking statement at Holyrood - someone's already updated the consultations website saying they're going to confirm a "final policy position of no support for unconventional oil and gas" pic.twitter.com/3n5fdhlblK
— Philip Sim (@BBCPhilipSim) October 2, 2019
The announcement taking place on October 3 would mark two year's since Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse's statement on the "effective ban" on fracking.
Commenting on the documents Scottish LibDem energy spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP said: “The Scottish Government appeared to have confirmed their position on fracking via documents published accidentally online, rather than by announcing it to Parliament more than three years ago when Liberal Democrats pressed them to introduce a ban.
“Across Central Scotland communities sat on or near sites potentially earmarked for fracking have been living in fear of what the Scottish Government might decide. By dragging their feet, ministers have imposed years of uncertainty on those people and their communities.
“Nicola Sturgeon stood up in Parliament and declared that fracking was banned, then her government’s lawyers stood up in the Court of Session and argued that it wasn’t.
“Now that the Scottish Government are finally set to commit to doing the right thing, it’s time for an all-out assault on Scotland’s emissions.”
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