Holyrood suspended the granting of planning consent for fracking yesterday amid mounting public opposition against the controversial gas drilling process.

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing announced the halt to allow for a full public consultation on the issue.

Environmental campaigners had called on the Scottish government to rule out hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” for shale gas after a Westminster bid to introduce a Britain-wide moratorium was heavily defeated in the Commons.

Holyrood currently has control over planning, with powers over onshore oil and gas licensing and mineral access rights due to be transferred as part of the Smith Commission agreement on further devolution.

“I want to ensure that the voices of the communities likely to be most affected are heard, and are heard in a more formal and structured way,” Mr Ewing said in a statement to MSPs at Holyrood.

“I am therefore announcing today that in addition to the technical work I’ve referred to on planning, environmental regulation and upon assessing the impact on public health, Scottish ministers will also launch a full public consultation on unconventional oil and gas extraction.”