Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Scottish Affairs Committee

Publisher: The Stationery Office

Published: 2012-02-15

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 9780215041777

This report states the six main areas of the proposed referendum where Secretary of State for Scotland Rt Hon Michael Moore has identified clarification is required: bank regulation; pension payments; the national currency; membership of international organisations; Scotland's defences; and costs of separation. The Committee asked members of the public to submit their questions on what matters need to be clarified on these very broad themes, and what additional questions need to be resolved. In addition the Daily Record launched a campaign in support of the inquiry and its readers have also submitted a series of questions. All the questions received so far are published with this report, and will form the basis of the inquiry. Many relate to specific policy areas where the answers would most likely vary according to which political party or parties formed a Government in a separate Scotland. While it is fair to raise these questions - they will be crucial to voters in determining which party they might vote for in any Scottish General Election post-separation - the Committee says the main structural and institutional issues, which will form the constitutional architecture of a post-separation Scotland, are more pressing in terms of enabling the electorate to make a choice on how they would vote in a referendum on separation. It is these questions that will be the focus for the Committee. The Committee recommends that as a matter of urgency, the Secretary of State for Scotland: takes responsibility for clarifying the UK Government's position on appropriate matters, by co-ordinating work across the Cabinet; and undertakes to work with the Committee to provide a joint provision of factual and unbiased information to the people of Scotland.