Ministers Discuss Devolution 'Vow'

Senior ministers from the Scottish and UK Governments will discuss their response to the sweeping new powers coming to Holyrood with MSPs today.

Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael and Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney will give their opinions on the Smith Agreement on Scottish devolution at Holyrood's Devolution (Further Powers) Committee.

Mr Carmichael has said the Agreement delivers on the vow'' of more powers for Scotland if it rejected independence and should be implementedwithout hesitation, reservation or equivocation''.

But Mr Swinney has said the vow patently has not been delivered'' and has pledged to take a package ofimprovements'' to the Scottish people at the general election in May.

Lord Smith of Kelvin, who brokered the cross-party deal on more powers, appeared before the same committee on Tuesday and yesterday addressed the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee.

Yesterday, he said the vow'' has been delivered to the extent thatextensive new powers'' will come to Holyrood.

He said even the SNP agreed that the vow'' has been met in the sense that the Smith Agreement will become law.

But he told MPs that it was not his job to determine the outcome, only to build consensus.

He said: To the extent that what was said, 'meaningful powers to the Scottish Parliament, and, and, and, and', it's all here (in the Smith Agreement) so I believe to that extent it has been met.''