QUEEN'S SPEECH: SCOTTISH GREENS CHALLENGE FRACKING PLANS
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and Co-convener of the Scottish Greens, today challenged the Scottish Government to resist proposals outlined in the Queen's Speech that would give fracking companies the right to run pipelines under private land.
The Infrastructure Bill put forward at Westminster by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government would overrule trespass laws, enabling drilling firms to install pipes to transport gas without landowners' permission.
A huge swathe of Scotland, from Argyll to Aberdeenshire and from Ayrshire to East Lothian, has been earmarked as ripe for fracking by the UK Department for Energy and Climate Change.
Patrick Harvie MSP said:
"The Coalition government is turning a blind eye to the risks to our economy, not just our environment, of encouraging yet more fossil fuel extraction. It seems likely that Holyrood will be invited to support or reject the Infrastructure Bill by way of legislative consent motions. If Scotland is serious about leading the way on tackling climate change and moving towards a low carbon economy, we must reject this fracking Bill when we get the chance.
"I urge the Scottish Government to make their position on this issue clear now. Given their failure to support a ban on fracking or clear buffer zones, and the First Minister's description of shale gas as an opportunity, many communities across Scotland will be deeply concerned at this latest threat."
Ministers want to change trespass law to boost fracking (BBC)
PLANNING REPORT SHOWS SNP LACKING ON FRACKING (Scottish Greens)