Scottish independence: Alex Salmond outlines referendum question
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has set out the question he intends to ask in a referendum on Scots independence.
The SNP leader said Scots will be asked: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" in a ballot which he wants to hold in 2014.
Mr Salmond launched the public consultation in a statement to MSPs.
He said the question was "straightforward and clear" and the decision would the most important made by the people of Scotland in 300 years.
He said the referendum should meet the highest standards of fairness and transparency.
Westminster ministers have already launched their own consultation on plans for the referendum, but have clashed with the Scottish government over who has the legal power to hold it.
Mr Salmond's consultation will put forward a range of options for handling the referendum, rather than arguing the case for independence itself. This may also include the SNP's call to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote and proposals to open polling stations on a Saturday, with the intention of increasing voter turnout.
A Referendum Bill, introduced to parliament early next year, could be passed towards the end of 2013, with the vote itself being held after the European elections in June 2014, and the Commonwealth Games, which are being staged in Glasgow.
In the meantime, the Holyrood and Westminster governments have become locked in a row over who has the right to hold the referendum.
The UK government said it recognised the SNP's landslide election win last May, and the need for a referendum "made in Scotland", by the Scottish Parliament.
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'Move on'
But it also argued that, because constitutional issues were reserved to Westminster, new powers must be devolved to Scotland to ensure the referendum is legally watertight and cannot be challenged in the courts.
Mr Moore told the BBC Radio's Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that progress was being made on the issue, adding: "There appears now to be a general agreement that we need to provide the legal powers to the Scottish Parliament so that we can get a referendum that's made in Scotland that's legal, that's fair and decisive."
The Scottish secretary said he was keen to get the process for the referendum dealt with properly, so the country could move on to debating the issue of independence itself.
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SNP position Unionist position
Wants the referendum in the autumn of 2014
Wants the referendum "sooner rather than later"
Backs a yes/no ballot but is open minded on including a second "devo max" question
Wants a one question yes/no "decisive" ballot
Wants 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in the referendum
Backs the status quo with 18 and over able to vote
Wants a special commission to conduct the referendum, but likely to back Electoral Commission option
Wants the Electoral Commission to oversee the vote
Q&A: Independence referendum
Calling on the SNP to bring its preferred date forward, Mr Moore said: "This central issue of whether Scotland should stay within the United Kingdom or leave is so fundamental, and the SNP has such a clear position on it, that I don't see why we need to wait the best part of three years to make that decision."
SNP ministers have disagreed in the legal position, and have accused the coalition of trying to dictate the terms of the referendum, such as its time scale and the wording of what appears on the ballot paper.
The Scottish government said it would welcome the extra legal powers, but warned against them coming with "strings attached".
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that the Scottish government consultation would look at how the referendum should be regulated and conducted.
On calls to hold it sooner, the deputy first minister added: "I think when people see the timeline that we've set out, they will come to the same conclusion that we've come to and that is that autumn 2014 is the right time to have this referendum.
"It's important that we have due process in terms of consultation in terms of taking the legislation through the Scottish Parliament and then having adequate time for the people of Scotland to debate fully the biggest decision they'll take in 300 years."
Scottish ministers have also indicated that they will accept letting the Electoral Commission to oversee the referendum, despite earlier announcing plans to set up a new Scottish watchdog.
The Tories, Liberal Democrats and Labour, who oppose independence, have also called for a "decisive" result with a single question on the ballot paper, rather than adding a second question on further devolution of powers to Holyrood, or "devo max", as it is sometimes known.
'Debating concerns'
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman David McLetchie, said: "Independence and devolution are two entirely different things.
"Devolution is about Scotland being part of the United Kingdom, with more or less powers for the Scottish Parliament - independence is about the break-up of Britain - and its the independence issue is the one we have to resolve."
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, added: "The people of Scotland deserve a clear, decisive result - that means the SNP reaffirming its commitment to asking a single, unambiguous yes or no question.
"While it may suit the SNP to keep this debate about process, we want this resolved quickly.
"We want to get on to debating the concerns of the Scottish people - such as would we be better off, what currency we would use, and how we would defend ourselves."
Mr Salmond is due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron for talks on the referendum.
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