Chamber and committees

As a part of the common travel area, Scottish citizens would not require passports to travel to the rest of the UK.

Both the UK and Scottish Governments would continue to be responsible for ensuring provision of cross-border services.

This would be a matter for the UK post-independence to decide. However, Britain already permits dual nationality and passport entitlement for citizens of all other countries and it is reasonable to maintain inclusive and practical mutual arrangements for Scottish citizens.

The primary function of government is to ensure the security of its citizens and to protect them, their property and way of life against threats; this includes securing the border, not only against the abuses relating to immigration fraud, but also exploitation by organised crime groups and terrorists.

In delivering these functions, an independent Scotland would ensure continuity of services including transition from the current UK arrangements to which Scotland

currently contributes fully.

Independence would allow Scotland to design a border agency which meets the needs of Scotland’s immigration policies and would not look to simply replicate the UK structure.

There would continue to be a key role for the Border Policing Command of the Police Service of Scotland and any enforcement will need to be based on close collaboration with our neighbours to tackle the range of threats.

The Common Travel Area is maintained by agreement between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and is not an arrangement governed by EU legislation.

In delivering these functions, an independent Scotland would ensure continuity of services including transition from the current arrangements to which Scotland currently contributes fully through taxes and fees levied in Scotland by the UK Government. An independent Scotland would not simply replicate UK structures but would develop services based on the needs of Scotland, best practice and the views of our stakeholders.

Scotland currently has no votes in its own right at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council but would have full voting rights as an Independent state. Independence will ensure that Scotland’s government is able to represent Scotland’s EU interests as a full and equal partner in the EU system of governance. This is a system of governance in which legislative and policy outcomes are the result of a process of negotiation and discussion, with decisions reached by consensus, where at all possible.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-16351 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 franchise for elections to the Scottish Parliament in an independent Scotland will be similar to the franchise that is currently used, which is based on residency. The Scottish Government believes that the voting age should be lowered to 16 for all elections.

The Scottish Government publication Scotland’s Future: from the Referendum to Independence and a Written Constitution published in February 2013 sets out the government’s position on continuity of the monarchy in an independent Scotland.