6. To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its position is on whether it could hold a referendum on the powers of the Scottish Parliament. (S6O-03027)

The Scottish Parliament has a clear mandate from the previous election to hold a referendum on independence. Last year, the Parliament passed a motion calling on the United Kingdom Government to respect the right of people in Scotland to choose their constitutional future. The UK Government should respect the 2021 election result and the position of this Parliament.

At this stage, we have no plans to hold a referendum on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

Ash Regan:

Last week, the Alba Party released poll results that show that an overwhelming majority of the country support the Scottish Parliament having the power to negotiate for and legislate for independence. Last week, support for independence was at 52 per cent. If the Scottish Government does not want to back a bill that could unblock the constitutional roadblock that the minister just described, how does it propose to move Scotland forward towards independence in this session of the Parliament?

It was no surprise to me that people in Scotland expect and believe that this Parliament should have responsibility for such matters. The manifesto on which Ash Regan and I stood said that people in Scotland should be provided with the opportunity to have their say on the future of this country, and the UK Government should respect that.

I am also committed to—this, too, derives from the manifesto on which Ash Regan and I stood—continuing to provide the people of Scotland with the information that they need to make an informed decision. Thus far, we have published nine “Building a New Scotland” papers, which cover a range of subject matters. We will continue to take that work forward. Indeed, just yesterday, we debated the paper on the European Union, and Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat members voted against the simple proposition that Scotland would be best served by being part of the EU. That is further evidence of why Scotland would be best served by being an independent country.

The Presiding Officer:

I am keen to get as many members in as possible, so let us keep our questions and responses concise.

On Monday,

The National newspaper—one of my essential daily reads—reported the latest shock defection to Alba, Ash Regan’s party: the South Ayrshire Scottish National Party Facebook page. Does the minister accept that, as his party’s case for Scottish independence becomes ever more flimsy, support for the SNP is melting away?

No, I do not, and such has been the impact of that revelation that that is the first that I have heard of it.