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Scottish independence: 'Modest progress' at Moore Salmond talks | |
(40 minutes later) | |
First Minister Alex Salmond says he and Scottish Secretary Michael Moore have made "modest progress" at independence referendum talks. | |
The pair met in Edinburgh to try to iron out the differences between the Scottish and Westminster governments over how the vote should be run. | |
Mr Salmond said no agreement on "substantive issues" had been reached and that discussions would continue. | |
He said he was due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday. | |
The first minister said there remained two main areas of disagreement between the two governments - over the number of questions to be asked and whether 16 and 17 year-olds are allowed to vote in the ballot. | |
He said issues over the timing of the referendum and the role of the Electoral Commission in organising the vote had been "more or less settled". | |
Public consultations | |
The SNP wants to hold the vote in autumn 2014, while the UK government had previously said it wanted it to take place earlier. | |
Both governments are keen to sort out the arrangements for the referendum as soon as possible and move on to a debate on the issue of independence itself. | Both governments are keen to sort out the arrangements for the referendum as soon as possible and move on to a debate on the issue of independence itself. |
The UK government says new constitutional powers must be devolved to Holyrood to make the referendum legally binding, but Scottish ministers have previously accused the coalition of trying to dictate the terms of the ballot. | |
SNP ministers, who argue they could hold a valid consultative referendum without the powers, said they would welcome such a move from Westminster, but warned the coalition not to "attach strings" to the offer. | SNP ministers, who argue they could hold a valid consultative referendum without the powers, said they would welcome such a move from Westminster, but warned the coalition not to "attach strings" to the offer. |
Both governments are currently running separate public consultations on the referendum issue. | Both governments are currently running separate public consultations on the referendum issue. |
Following the meeting, Mr Salmond also said that any agreement on resolving areas where the two administrations differed would only come after the public had had its say on the referendum plans. |