3. To ask the First Minister what issues will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. (S4F-02245)

The meeting will discuss matters of relevance to the people of Scotland.

Bank of England governors tend to be cautious. [Interruption.]

The Presiding Officer:

Order.

Bank of England governors tend to be cautious, so Mr Carney being open about crisis plans for a run on the banks is serious. The First Minister has, as usual, spent the past 20 minutes ducking and diving, so let us see whether he can give a straight answer to this: can he confirm that those crisis plans will be needed only with a vote to leave the United Kingdom?

I can do better than that because, yesterday, the governor said that his plans were in place regardless of the outcome of the referendum. That is exactly what the central bank will do in its continuing role. It makes such contingency plans to stabilise financial markets.

If I can put it this way to Willie Rennie, it is really quite simple. The better together unionist campaign—himself, Labour and the Conservatives—is trying to destabilise financial markets. That is why that is on its website. The governor of the Bank of England—[Interruption.]

The Presiding Officer:

Order. Let us hear the First Minister.

—seeks to stabilise financial markets. That is because it is his responsibility. That is why people in Scotland will, like me, welcome the actions of the governor of the Bank of England and deprecate the politics of Willie Rennie and his colleagues.

Only the First Minister could claim that a warning of a run on the banks was a triumph for his cause. Claiming credit for a crisis that he caused makes him look like the old pretender.

The governor of the Bank of England is a cautious and learned man, whom the First Minister has just praised. The governor has been open about his crisis plan B. Is it not about time that the First Minister tells us his?

Of course, when the governor was asked about his contingency plans he said that it would not be helpful to spell out what those plans were. That is because he is a responsible governor of the Bank of England. Willie Rennie should accept that, in shooting down the fears, Mark Carney has done a very effective job of stopping the instability that Willie Rennie and his colleagues were so interested in creating.

The governor said:

“In terms of the financial stability questions - whatever happens in the vote, the Bank of England will continue to be the authority for financial stability for some period of time”.

He was making the obvious point that the bank will discharge its responsibilities.

Let us enjoy the next five weeks of the campaign in which we will all take part vigorously. However, there is a responsibility to explain the campaign to the people of Scotland. Everyone in this chamber should be acting in Scotland’s best interest. That is what this Government will do. I really wish and hope that the unionist parties could bring themselves to believe that this prosperous, independent nation is well capable of independence. We agreed that unanimously in the chamber last week; let it be reflected in the campaign rhetoric.