MSPs vote to ban fracking

Summary

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Nicola Sturgeon gains approval for her law officer appointments
The Scottish government led a debate on plans for the environment, climate change and land reform
MSPs vote to back a ban on fracking

Live Reporting

Craig Hutchison and Colin Bell

Climate change targets missedpublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 1 June 2016
Last summer it emerged Scotland had failed to meet its climate change target for the fourth year in a row.
Scottish greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.6% between 2012 and 2013 to 53 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2e).
Image source, PA
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act, external requires a minimum 42% cut in emissions by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
At the time the Scottish government said it was on track to achieving this target and announced measures to reduce emissions.
There has been a 34.3% reduction in emissions since 1990.
Land Reform Act measurespublished at 14:08 British Summer Time 1 June 2016
The Land Reform Act measures include:
- creating a register of people in charge of land
- provisions to force land sales if owners block economic development
- setting up a Land Commission
- plans to improve the systems of right to roam and common good land
Image source, Thinkstock
Image caption,
Land near Tongue in Sutherland
More than 100 amendments were discussed during a lengthy debate at Holyrood, before MSPs voted 102 to 14 to approve it. Labour backed the SNP over the proposals, while the Conservatives voted against them.
MSPs had said the legislation needed "more work" to deliver truly radical reform, while SNP conference delegates last year backed making it more "robust".
Land Reform Bill passed in Marchpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 1 June 2016
In March MSPs approved a bill reforming land management after a day of debate at the Scottish Parliament.
The Land Reform Act, external, which will create a register of people in control of land in Scotland, was heavily amended while passing through Holyrood.
A new Scottish Land Fund is also to be opened.
- Land reform - The battle to decide who owns Scotland
Image source, bbc
It has been claimed that 432 private land owners - 0.008% of the Scottish population - owned 50% of the private land in rural Scotland in 2012.
A Land Reform Review Group, external set up by the Scottish government said of that statistic: "As a measure of inequality in a modern democracy, this is exceptional and is in need of explanation.
Scottish government plans on the environment and climate changepublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 1 June 2016
Nicola Sturgeon outlined her plans for tackling climate change and for the environment and land reform last week:
Image source, PA
Image caption,
The government intend to create a more testing climate change target, despite having missed the current target four years in a row
- legislate to establish a new and more testing target for 2020 - one of reducing actual Scottish emissions by at least 50%
- implementing the Land Reform Act and progressing the commitment to introduce a register of controlling interests to increase transparency of land ownership in Scotland
- moratorium on fracking to continue
Good afternoon and welcome to Holyrood Livepublished at 14:32 British Summer Time 30 May 2016
Image source, BBC, Thinkstock and Iain Maclean
Image caption,
MSPs will debate the government's plans on the environment, climate change and land reform
Good afternoon and welcome to Holyrood Live's coverage of the Scottish Parliament on 1 June 2016.
Today MSPs will approve the first minister's nominations for Scotland's top law officers.
They will then debate a ban on fracking as part of a Scottish government environment, climate change and land reform from 14:35.