An interim written constitution setting out the foundations of an independent Scotland if the country votes Yes will be published this summer, the Deputy First Minister is to say.

The draft Scottish Independence Bill will be published for consultation before the Scottish Parliament's summer recess.

Nicola Sturgeon will tell an audience in Cardiff that it will "enshrine Scottish values" and put in place the legal necessities, until a 'constitutional convention' prepares a permanent constitution for Scotland in the event of independence.

Ms Sturgeon will make the speech in the Wales Governance Centre annual lecture today, two years to the day that Scotland would become independent under the Government's timescale, if there is a Yes vote.

Ms Sturgeon will say: "Today, the date which will become our independence day following a vote for independence, I want everyone in Scotland to consider who we are as a nation and what we have the potential to become.

"A written constitution is an important part of a nation's identity. It defines who we are and sets out the values that we hold dear.

"Currently we are without a written constitution, and the UK is the only country within the European Union or the Commonwealth that does not have a written constitution or a constitution Act - that is a democratic deficit an independent Scotland will not replicate.

"It is a cornerstone of Scottish democracy that sovereignty rests with the people. That is why we want to make the drafting of our permanent written constitution an inclusive process."