Scotland Bill published

Below is a joint statement from Annabel Goldie MSP, Iain Gray MSP and Tavish Scott MSP, following the publication of the Scotland Bill today.

"We welcome this Bill from the UK Government.

"We have an opportunity to work together for the good of Scotland. We're prepared to make that happen.

"The SNP now needs to put Scotland first and join with us."

"Now it is the turn of the SNP Scottish Government. We have set out what we expect them to do. SNP Ministers must make time for an early debate on the Bill and prepare the necessary Legislative Consent Motion. If they won't, we will.

"The UK Government are right to make clear that this Bill will not become and Act without the agreement of this Parliament. That is how it should be, and we will now ensure that this Parliament now has the chance to consider it properly.

"The proposals in this Bill are the result of work started in this Parliament, when it voted in 2007 to create the Commission in Scottish Devolution. The Bill puts into effect the recommendations of the Calman Commission, which were warmly welcomed by this Parliament in 2009. It is right that they should first be debated in this Parliament in 2010.

"In that debate we will be supporting the provisions of the bill because:

• They extend the powers of the Scottish Parliament in a meaningful way, and provide it with new spending choices and taxation powers, and so real fiscal accountability and a tangible financial stake in the success of the Scottish economy

• The proposals are practicable and deliverable, accompanied by detailed implementation plans. They are no fiscal fantasy, but practical plans.

• They do so in a way that consolidates Scotland's position in the UK, and develops Scotland's relations with it - which is what the Scottish people want.

"These plans put into effect the recommendations of the Calman Commission. That Commission was set up at the instance of this Parliament, working with the UK Government. We want to put on record our thanks to Sir Kenneth and his team. Their recommendations were based on wide engagement with Scottish society, analyzing the evidence carefully, rather than pursuing a one-sided conversation with only one aim in mind. It is a matter of regret that the Scottish Government did not engage properly with the Commission.

"Developing devolution to serve the people of Scotland better is not a project to be pursued in a partisan way. That is why our three Parties have always worked on it together, despite our other differences, here and in Westminster. The SNP have consistently stood aside from this, preferring to pursue their own agenda.

"It is not too late for them to work with us in a way that is consistent with the will of the Scottish Parliament, and with the grain of Scottish opinion. But we will ensure that, whether they do or not, these proposal will now be properly considered and voted on in the Scottish Parliament. We intend therefore to work together to take charge of the agenda for handling this very important piece of legislation.

"Here is what will now happen. The Parliament will debate the principle of the Scotland Bill very shortly, and will set up a new Committee to look at it in close detail. Once that has been done, the Parliament will discuss a motion to give its consent to the Westminster Parliament legislating in this way.

"More than a decade after devolution, the time is right to take the next steps in developing Scotland's democracy, its relationship with the other nations of the UK, and indeed the UK's territorial constitution. This Bill provides the Scottish Parliament with the opportunity to do just that, and so serve the people of Scotland better. We intend to work together to make sure it takes that opportunity."

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