Energy Minister Fergus Ewing due to make statement on fracking
Block on fracking in Scotland announced by minister
(about 3 hours later)
Scotland's Energy Minister Fergus Ewing is due to make a statement on the future of the controversial gas drilling technique known as fracking.
The Scottish government has announced a block on planned fracking operations, pending further inquiries.
The Scottish Labour Party wants the Holyrood administration to bring in more stringent rules for the industry.
Ministers will carry out further work on the environmental and health implications of the controversial gas drilling technique.
However, the Scottish Tories have warned that a bar on fracking could jeopardise jobs in Scotland.
Full control over fracking is due to be devolved to Holyrood after May's general election.
Full control over fracking is due to be devolved to Holyrood after this May's general election.
In addition, Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced a moratorium on planning consent for fracking.
The Scottish Parliament currently has control over planning issues but the Smith Commission on more powers for Holyrood recommended devolution of onshore licensing and mineral access rights.
Scottish Labour has called on the Holyrood administration to bring in more stringent rules for the industry, but the Conservatives have warned that a bar on fracking could jeopardise jobs.
Opponents of fracking claim it causes earthquakes, can pollute water supplies, and could lead to inappropriate development in the countryside.
In the US, Extensive use of fracking, the process of extracting gas from rock, has revolutionised the energy industry.
Mr Ewing had previously said that a "proper debate" was needed and that the Scottish government was taking a "cautious, evidence-based" approach as to whether fracking could be considered for "appropriate parts of Scotland".
But opponents of the technique claim it causes earthquakes, can pollute water supplies, and could lead to inappropriate development in the countryside.
He also believes there should be no further licences in Scotland until the power over fracking is devolved.
On Monday in the House of Commons an amendment calling for a moratorium on fracking was overwhelmingly rejected by MPs.
The vote saw 52 backing the move while 308 voted against it.
However, a separate Labour amendment was added to the bill which would impose 13 tests to be met before fracking could be allowed.
These included the completion of an environmental assessment and the need to consult residents on an individual basis.
In addition, the UK government has agreed to tighten the restrictions on where fracking can take place with an outright ban on the activity in national parks, sites of special interest and areas of national beauty.
Ahead of Mr Ewing's statement, SNP MP Mike Weir and Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald spoke to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme.
Mr Weir, who says he is against fracking, said: "The Scottish government has already taken a robust precautionary approach - I hope [Fergus Ewing] will go further and that he will say that once we get the powers from Westminster that will give us the chance to look at this anew there will be no more fracking meantime.
"The Scottish Parliament will be able to consider the whole issue once all powers reside in Scotland."
Mr Weir also insisted that until Holyrood had the powers over licensing it could not put a moratorium in place.
Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald disagreed with Mr Weir saying that Scotland did have the powers it needed to "deal with this straight away".
He also explained that Labour MPs at Westminster did not support the time limited moratorium to fracking because it was just a "temporary halt".
Mr Macdonald told the BBC: "What we are saying is that there should be no fracking in Scotland until lessons from elsewhere have been learned - there should be no fracking in Scotland until a comprehensive review of the baseline conditions have been done."
