Alex Salmond has dismissed claims that he has ordered Scottish Government officials to draw up a report on the costs of independence.

The First Minister said the only "snippet of truth" in the newspaper report was that officials had met with Professor Patrick Dunleavy, a London School of Economics academic who said the UK Treasury's interpretation of his figures on the costs were "bizarrely inaccurate".

Speaking about the report, Mr Salmond said: "It says that officials met Professor Patrick Dunleavy. Yes, they did, they were with me. I met him and there were also officials."

He revealed he had met the academic as Conservative leader Ruth Davidson and her Liberal Democrat counterpart Willie Rennie questioned him on the cost of establishing an independent Scotland.

Ms Davidson pressed him on the issue at First Minister's Questions, demanding to know: "Has any further work been done by the Scottish Government on how much it would cost to set up any newly independent Scottish state?"

She added: "We know from the Finance Secretary in 2012 he ordered work to 'build a comprehensive overview of the institutions, costs and staff numbers required in the event of independence'.

"Last year the Deputy First Minister confirmed that was under way, telling a Commons committee 'we are doing a substantial piece of work on this just now, suffice to say it covers not just running costs but the issues around set up'.

"Then last month the First Minister's official spokesman said there was no overview, no documents, just 'emails and jottings'.

"Then this morning we read reports the Government is now rushing out figures to paper over the cracks. So the people at the top of this Government tell us work has been commissioned, then they say it hasn't. They say the work is substantial, then they say it isn't. They say it will be published before the referendum but then they say it won't be.

"The people of Scotland have to know what is going on."

Mr Salmond told her the work that had been done on set-up costs was "contained in chapter six and 10 of the White Paper".

But Mr Rennie said the "First Minister still doesn't have a clue about set-up costs" if there is a Yes vote in September.

He added: "They've tried to tell us that never has a country been more prepared for the transition to statehood. He thought he could get away with it but he's been caught red-handed."

Mr Salmond claimed the "unionist cabal" were trying to "exaggerate the costs of an independent Scotland because they are aware week by week the Yes campaign is gaining ground".