STUDENT groups, trade unions, councils and small businesses in Scotland are among those who will receive the first in a series of new information packs from the UK Government as part of its drive to highlight the benefits of the Union and defeat the campaign for independence.

The Scotland Office said the aim was to provide voters with "clear and accurate information to help them make an informed decision ahead of the Scottish independence referendum".

Alistair Carmichael, the Scottish Secretary, claimed the new fact sheet, based on a series of Whitehall analysis papers, was in response to a demand from the public, who wanted to be "better informed" ahead of September's poll but in a more user-friendly way.

"People in Scotland do want to know the facts before they cast the vote in the referendum. The truth, however, is that most people want to have that information in a manner that is clear and to the point.

"That is why we are producing a series of information packs, summarising the benefits of the UK in a shorter and sharper fashion. People are telling us they want straightforward facts in a straightforward manner," he added.

The information packs will be available online and distributed to a range of groups and organisations in Scotland.

The announcement about them comes as the Home Office prepares to release the tenth analysis paper on Scottish independence on Thursday, focusing on passports, immigration and borders.

One bone of contention between the UK and Scottish Governments is the former's suggestion that Scotland would have to sign up to the Schengen Agreement, which would mean border posts between Scotland and England.

The latter has rubbished such a notion.