There will be no special Brexit deal for Scotland, says David Mundell

With the Scottish Government seeking to maintain access to the single market after the UK quits the EU, Mr Mundell stressed the UK Government was aiming to reach a "bespoke" agreement for all parts of the country.

Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint for EU deal to be published by end of 2016

The Scottish Secretary said: "What is envisaged ... is there would be a single agreement for the whole of the United Kingdom.

"That doesn't mean that within that agreement there can't be specific issues that would relate to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

"There won't be a Scotland-only agreement, or a Wales-only agreement, or a Northern Ireland-only agreement.

"There will be a United Kingdom agreement, but that agreement can include differential arrangements in different parts of the United Kingdom if, as part of the negotiation process, that is seen to be the best way forward."

Pressed on the issue by MSPs on Holyrood's Europe Committee, he said: "There isn't currently a plan for a special deal for the city or for the car industry.

"There are very specific issues to specific industries but there won't be special deals, and it is absolutely wrong to characterise a suggestion that certain areas of parts of the country will get a special deal and Scotland will not."

There have been "useful meetings" between the Scottish and UK governments over Brexit, Mr Mundell said, even though Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said earlier this week talks with the Prime Minister had been "deeply frustrating".

However, the Scottish Secretary said Theresa May had chaired a "substantive session" with the leaders of the devolved administrations.

Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint for EU deal to be published by end of 2016

"While we may have different views, it's vital the UK and Scottish governments work constructively together to secure Scotland's interests," he added.

Access to the single market will be discussed by the new Brexit cabinet committee when it meets in early November, Mr Mundell said.

He pledged: "We will give the Scottish Government every opportunity to have their say as we prepare for negotiations with the EU."

Joan McAlpine, convener of the Europe Committee, pressed the Tory on "how you can represent the voices of those Scottish stakeholders when you are only attending this key committee as required".

Mr Mundell told her: "There is a vast range of issues that come up in relation to leaving the EU, my purpose is to focus on those issues that are most important to Scotland, therefore I will attend that committee when issues that are most relevant to Scotland are on the agenda."

He also said: "My view is we want to maximise our involvement in the single market, that is the objective the government wants to achieve.

"But it is not appropriate to look at existing structures, going forward what the UK is looking to achieve is a bespoke deal, a deal that is best for the UK, including the best for Scotland, but it is bespoke."

As part of that, he indicated: "I'm looking for an outcome that allows UK businesses to participate in the single market without tariffs and without barriers."

Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint for EU deal to be published by end of 2016

Ms McAlpine told him that European negotiators had already said such a deal would be "impossible" but the Scottish Secretary responded: "European negotiators and everybody under the sun are going to have their twopence-worth as we go through the next two years and we're going to read all sorts of quotes from all sorts of people about what's not possible and what is possible.

"What we, as the UK Government, are not going to do is we're not going to conduct these negotiations in public."

Mr Mundell appeared to dismiss suggestions Scotland could be given control over its own immigration policy - another key demand of the Scottish Government, which is currently consulting on plans to hold a second independence referendum,

He said: "Wat I support is that it will be for the United Kingdom to determine who enters the United Kingdom from the European Union."

He added: "The objective in the negotiations is to return control of immigration ... so that we can determine ourselves who comes to the UK from the EU.

"We already have existing arrangements in place for non-EU citizens.

"It doesn't mean that we are going from a position of having a very significant number of people coming from the EU to having no people."

Asked about the impact of Brexit on border controls, Mr Mundell said: "Obviously the common travel area with Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom ... has preceded our membership of the EU and Ireland's membership of the EU, and is something the Government has made clear it wants to continue.

"If that's achieved, I can't envisage why there would need to be border controls at Stranraer. We're committed to looking to ensure the common travel area can stay in place."