Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has defended the Scottish Government's decision to hold a national debate on fracking - insisting many people may not know enough about the unconventional gas technology.

The SNP is under pressure from opposition parties, environmentalists and a faction within its own party to ban the extraction of gas through the fracturing of layers of rock.

Mr Ewing was repeatedly pressed to "finally get off the fence on fracking" as he announced a new energy strategy at Holyrood.

He said the SNP's policy on unconventional gas is "very clear indeed", insisting development is suspended until the Government has gathered more evidence and had a national debate.

Scottish Labour environmental justice spokeswoman Sarah Boyack, whose party recently advocated a ban on fracking, said: "Will the minister tell us now whether fracking will be part of the Scottish Government's energy policy later this year?"

Scottish Conservative energy spokesman Murdo Fraser said: "The Scottish Government's own expert scientific panel concluded as long ago as July 2014 that fracking could be conducted safely in Scotland if properly controlled and regulated.

"Why isn't the Scottish Government listening to its own scientists?"

Mr Ewing said: "We think that we should take a moderate approach, based on analysing evidence and thereafter having a debate and coming up with a conclusion after involvement with and consultation of all of the people of Scotland.

"I suspect that quite a lot of people in our electorate, the people of Scotland, would like to know a bit more about the issue.

"They may not know enough about the issue, and therefore providing them with evidence about the issue is an extremely valuable and necessary process if we want to have a rational debate - which of course in Scotland we do."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said earlier this month that fracking "ain't allowed to happen" in Scotland under the moratorium, but would not be drawn on whether she supports an outright ban.

In his statement, Mr Ewing hailed recent progress in energy with 50% of electricity demand now met by renewables, and onshore wind grid updates going on to aid offshore developments.

But he said Scotland faces "stiff headwinds" with "indecision and inconsistency in energy policy from Westminster placing Scottish investment and jobs at risk".

He added: "UK Government inaction continues to threaten the prosperity of the oil and gas industry.

He also accused the Westminster Government of "choosing nuclear power over carbon capture and storage".

And he added: "Scottish energy consumers now face unprecedented risks to the basic tenets of energy provision - secure energy supplies, at the best price."

He lamented power station closures and a report from the Competition and Market Authority indicating "consumers are still not getting a fair deal".

The Scottish Government has offered support to improve buildings' energy efficiency, a £300 million energy efficiency procurement framework and a fund to promote local energy provision, he said.

Mr Ewing also announced "a further £7 million for investment in district heating" next year, taking the total allocation to date to over £17 million.

But Mr Fraser said Mr Ewing was "long on criticising others and remarkably short on many concrete proposals".

He hailed plans by ScottishPower to invest £6.3 billion in UK renewables, "reflecting the company's confidence in the UK market".

ScottishPower chief corporate officer Keith Anderson "went on to praise the UK Government for providing a stable regulatory environment to encourage firms to invest in offshore windfarms", he said.

Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said Mr Ewing's statement lacked detail and amounted to announcing that there should be a new energy strategy in the future.

Mr Ewing said the Greens should "welcome the approach of cutting energy demand" and accused Mr Harvie of "a cynical, negative and point-scoring contribution".

Mr Harvie repeatedly shouted out for more detail on the strategy before going on to accuse Mr Ewing of "stretching the truth beyond breaking point in misrepresenting the Greens' position".