Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has confirmed that the Scottish government will outlaw fracking — the controversial gas extraction technique — in Scotland.

A moratorium on the practice has been in place since January 2015, and the government’s decision follows extensive consideration of reports on its potential impact.

Mr Wheelhouse said: “Fracking cannot — and will not — take place in Scotland.”

He said it was the responsibility of the government to make decisions in the best interests of Scotland as a whole, and he added: “The conclusion of the Scottish Government is that we will not support the development of unconventional oil and gas in Scotland.”

A public consultation on the issue received more than 60,000 responses, 99% of which were opposed to fracking.

Elisabeth Whitebread, energy campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said the move was a “huge win for thousands of people who have campaigned against fracking for six years”.