HOPES are rising in Whitehall that Alex Salmond has decided to opt for a single Yes/No independence question on the referendum ballot paper.
The First Minister's office and Downing Street are now in contact over dates for the key meeting between Mr Salmond and Prime Minister David Cameron. As both leaders are abroad towards the end of the month, the meeting to agree the legislative framework for the autumn 2014 poll could take place early in October, ahead of the Conservative and SNP party conferences.
Today, David Mundell, the Scotland Office Minister, will meet Nicola Sturgeon, the Deputy First Minister, who now takes on the SNP Government's constitutional brief, to try to sort out underlying technical details.
Mr Mundell stressed that the issues involved were complex and concerned the extent of devolved and reserved powers. However, he said progress had been made and he was hopeful a deal could be done on the so-called Section 30 Order, whereby Westminster enables Holyrood to hold a legal referendum.
One Coalition source said: "Some specific dates for the meeting are under discussion."
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