SCOTLAND'S business leaders welcomed the extra information published in the White Paper, but some were quick to raise questions about the content.

Bryan Buchan, chief executive of Scottish Engineering, said his members' first concern was the plan to quickly remove Trident, with the loss of at least 1600 jobs in Faslane and Coulport and a "large number of secondary jobs within the supporting supply chain".

He added: "I would also like to know how the promise of boosting high value jobs through increased manufacturing activity is to be delivered."

Institute of Directors Scotland chairman, Ian McKay said: "While the White Paper maintains there will be no increase in the basic rate of tax, this will inevitably mean rises in other taxes to fund initiatives, like increases in childcare provision, and it is not immediately clear how these services will be funded."

Bruce Beveridge, president of the Law Society of Scotland, called on both sides to broaden the currency debate by explaining what they would do if they did not get what they wanted. He said: "The Scottish Government should be setting out its contingency plans if its preference on currency cannot be achieved. Equally, the UK Government needs to be clearer on why it could or would not support such a shared currency arrangement."

He called on Unionists to "decide what further devolution they would support and agree a process and timescale for reaching and delivering on a consensus,"Andy Willox, the Federation of Small Businesses' Scottish policy convenor, said: "Both sides of this debate will, no doubt, continue to pitch their case to the small enterprise community. Each of our members will be seeking clarity on the issues most important to them."

Director of CBI Scotland Iain McMillan said: "The CBI believes that the nations of the UK are stronger together and that Scotland's business and economic interests will be best served by remaining as part of the UK.

"Our members have been pressing for responses to many key questions on independence that we have put to the Scottish Government and we will study this White Paper closely to decide how far it answers businesses questions."

Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the fact that the White Paper provided some of the information that businesses had been calling for.