THE Scottish and UK Governments must set out their policies for the future of Scottish pensions before the independence vote, industry experts insisted.

Speaking before the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, a senior accountant said pensions were a concern for voters in the independence debate.

Labour's Ian Davidson suggested the debate about who paid the pensions of UK public servants, should Scotland vote to leave the UK, would be part of wider post-independence negotiations. However, David Wood, executive director of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors, insisted pensions could not simply be negotiated away.

Witnesses agreed that it would be reasonable for both governments to agree a position before the referendum.