Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-15868 on 30 August 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Scottish Government published Maximising the Return from Oil and Gas in an Independent Scotland on 23 July 2013. This paper sets out the high-level principles that should underpin key aspects of oil and gas policy in an independent Scotland. The paper can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/07/5746/0

An independent Scotland would be represented overseas by a network which worked in the national interests of Scotland. In addition, Scottish Ministers would be open to the sharing of services and facilities with the rest of the UK or with other countries where there was mutual benefit to this. Such arrangements already exist between the UK and other nations, for example, Canada. At present taxes levied in Scotland are used to pay for the UK foreign and diplomatic service.

The Scottish Government is already making a significant investment in broadband infrastructure. Our Step Change programme will see an investment of over £410 million to deliver fibre broadband to 85 per cent of Scottish properties by the end of 2015 and around 95 per cent by the end of 2017. Independence will offer Scotland the opportunity to use the full range of levers, aligned to this investment, to support our world class digital ambition. It will allow Scotland to take lessons from the regulatory and policy regimes of European leaders like Sweden where they introduced a 99 per cent coverage obligation as part of the 3G and 4G spectrum auctions which has helped deliver extensive coverage in rural and remote areas.

We do not anticipate any impact on the UK internet domain name registration processes or the cost to businesses as anyone in any country can apply to use dotuk. The Scottish Government is supporting a bid to the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the dotscot domain. The bid was lodged in June 2012 by Dot Scot Registry, an independent not-for-profit company, and is currently being evaluated. The dotscot domain may be available by late 2014, early 2015.

We do not anticipate any particular impact of Scotland becoming independent on internet protocol television services and provision.

Decisions relating to: (a) broadband infrastructure investment, (b) investment in satellite broadband technologies, (c) current UK internet domain name registration processes, (d) the cost to business of replacing the internet suffix,.uk, and (e) internet protocol television (i) services and (ii) provision; will be for the government of an independent Scotland elected in 2016.

Scotland is in a stronger fiscal position than the UK and would continue to manage Scotland’s finances in a responsible manner under independence. A robust and stable fiscal framework would provide the foundations of a competitive business environment.

Decisions on all specific taxes, including tax rates, allowances and credits will be made by the parliament and government of an independent Scotland. Political parties, stakeholders, and individuals will have their own preferences for the policies to be pursued in an independent Scotland and the arguments for and against, and between, the range of policy choices available to an independent Scotland will form a central part of the national debate before the referendum and then in the run up to the 2016 Scottish election.

The Scottish Government has said in Scotland's Future: from the Referendum to Independence and a Written Constitution that it will provide for the Supreme Court of an independent Scotland. The supreme court structure will build upon the existing infrastructure and judicial talent that we have in Scotland. The Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary will continue to hear some cases at first instance and appeals from the lower courts as is the case currently.

The Scottish Government will publish its detailed white paper with positive proposals on the opportunities and gains of independence in the autumn. Material on the referendum and the Scottish Government’s proposals for an independent Scotland can be found at:

www.scotreferendum.com including published papers and speeches. This site will be regularly updated with additional material including the Scottish Government’s white paper in the run up to the referendum.

There are well-established arrangements to ensure effective cross-border cooperation between Police Scotland and forces in the rest of the UK. The arrangements operate effectively to ensure public safety for citizens. The Scottish Government would continue to work with the UK on independence to ensure that these arrangements operate for the benefit of all.

No. The Scottish Government will ensure all licences granted by the DVLA are recognised in Scotland at the point of independence.

The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers are procured by the UK Government. Scottish taxpayers contribute towards the cost of, and therefore have a significant stake in, defence assets.