Scotland, the referendum and devolution: latest news

22 January 2015
The UK Government publishes draft legislation to deliver more powers to the Scottish Parliament - Scotland in the United Kingdom: An enduring settlement, Cm 8990

27 November 2014
The Smith Commission publishes the Agreement on further devolution of powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Statement by the Secretary of State for Scotland about the further devolution process in Scotland and the publication of the heads of agreement resulting from Lord Smith's five-party talks.

16 October 2014
House of Commons debate - End of day adjournment debate on UK Government: Scotland initiated by Gordon Brown MP.

14 October 2014
House of Commons debate - Devolution (Scotland Referendum) debate on a Government motion.

13 October 2014
The Scotland Office publishes the parties' published proposals on further devolution for Scotland, Cm 8946.

19 September 2014
Statement by the Prime Minister announcing the appointment of Lord Smith of Kelvin to oversee the process to take forward the devolution commitments. The Smith Commission will produce a Heads of Agreement from the parties by 30 November 2014 and a Draft Bill, for discussion at Westminster, by 25 January 2015.

18 September 2014
The referendum result was:
 2,001,926 electors (55.3%) voted ‘No'
 1,617,989 electors (44.7%) voted ‘Yes'

16 September
The leaders of the UK political parties issue a joint signed statement of undertakings which was published in the Daily Record.

8 September 2014
Gordon Brown sets out a timetable for action on further devolution in a speech at a Labour Party event in Loanhead.

25 August 2014
Second debate between campaign leaders - The second debate between Alex Salmond, First Minister, and Alistair Darling, leader of Better Together, is broadcast by the BBC.

22 August 2014
Start of “purdah” period - The 28 day “pre-vote period” begins, during which publications relating to the referendum by the Scottish Government and other Scottish public authorities are restricted. It is being honoured by the UK Government as well.

11 August 2014
Electoral Commission publishes guide for voters - The Electoral Commission launches its voter information campaign for the referendum by sending an impartial guide to voting at the referendum to every household in Scotland.

6 August 2014
The first debate between campaign leaders  Alex Salmond, First Minister, and Alistair Darling, Leader of Better Together, broadcast by STV on 5th August. The debate was also repeated on the BBC Parliament Channel on 6th August. A second debate is due to take place later in August.

5 August 2014
The UK Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties issue a combined declaration echoing the 16 June statement. This was issued as a press statement on the day of the first televised leaders' debate between Alex Salmond, First Minister, and Alistair Darling, Better Together, and achieved widespread coverage in the UK press.

4 August 2014
Scotland's Future: What independence means for you and Benefits of UK  leaflets sent out to households
The Scottish Government has issued the latest in its Scotland's Future series as a leaflet and The Scotland Office has issued a second leaflet to voters on remaining in UK.  Both are being sent to all households in Scotland.

2 July 2014
UK Government says No to excluding Scottish constituencies from 2015 general election
Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael says he will not bring forward legislation to provide that residents of Scotland will not be entitled to vote in the 2015 UK general election if there is a Yes vote in the referendum.

18 June 2014
The Electoral Commission publishes draft information booklet for voters with a information on how to take part and a joint statement from the Scottish and UK Governments. It was republished as The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum Voting Guide once the Yes and No campaign added their statements.

16 June 2014
Three-party pledge of new powers - The leaders of the Scottish Conservative, Scottish Labour and Scottish Liberal Democrat parties issue a joint statement the text of which can be found in the Library Standard Note on the devolution proposals, page 4.

30 May 2014
Regulated referendum period begins - The period during which spending limits for registered campaigners apply under the Scottish Parliament's Scottish Independence Referendum Act 2013. These limits are explained in Standard Note 6604, Scottish referendum – the campaign rules.