THE questions on independence are piling up and, with a month to go before the publication of the Scottish Government's keenly-awaited White Paper, the "answer season" is upon us, Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael has told business leaders.
Speaking at the CBI Scotland reception at the Scotland Office in Whitehall, Mr Carmichael made clear that, after years of waiting, First Minister Alex Salmond must give "credible answers" to a whole range of questions on the SNP's prospectus for independence.
UK Government sources have made clear it will be publishing a "Black Paper" ahead of November 26, setting out the questions the White Paper needs to answer.
"We are still more than 300 days away from decision time on the independence referendum but there is a definite sense now that we are into a vital new stage of the whole debate," said Mr Carmichael.
"The party conference season is behind us, the date of the Scottish Government's White Paper is announced, the clocks have changed; we are now firmly into Answer Season as far as the case for independence is concerned."
Noting how questions have been piling up for some time, Mr Carmichael went on: "Everyone has given the advocates of independence the time and space to prepare their answers and now is their time to deliver."
He pointed out that last December CBI Scotland produced a detailed list of questions of its own, including: would Scotland have its own financial regulator?; How would a new PAYE system deal with income earned in different parts of the UK?; What funding arrangements would replace the UK research councils?; What would the set-up costs of the new state be?
Mr Carmichael said: "These are all fair questions and 10 months have passed without much in the way of answers. Four weeks from now the White Paper will be published and the waiting for answers must end."
Next month, Mr Salmond will unveil the Scottish Government's prospectus for independence with the expectation the document will set out details on a raft of policies from the economy and defence to energy and the environment.
The First Minister announced the date of publication at the SNP conference earlier this month when he said he "relished" the challenge of furnishing voters with the "information necessary to assess the opportunities of independence".
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