Home rule for all parts of the United Kingdom can be achieved following the "historic" devolution proposals for Scotland, Alistair Carmichael has said.

The Scottish Secretary said the agreement to hand new responsibilities to Holyrood offered a "modern blueprint" for Scottish home rule within the UK, adding it could open the door to constitutional reform for the rest of the UK.

He told MPs in Westminster: "We can achieve home rule all round."

Making a statement in the Commons on the Smith Commission, the Liberal Democrat front-bencher insisted that the comprehensive heads of agreement published today ahead of its deadline was a "significant achievement and an historic moment for Scotland".

He welcomed the "substantial package of new powers".

Mr Carmichael said the conclusions reached by the parties had developed a set of proposals that "do not cause detriment to the UK as a whole or any of its constituent parts".

Mr Carmichael said work to produce draft legislation would take place with the draft clauses produced by January 25 - Burns Night.

He said: "Having a more powerful Scottish Parliament inside a strong United Kingdom is the best outcome for the people of Scotland and the people of the United Kingdom.

"This is what we voted on September 18.

"Today's report is an affirmation of the vow made in September - it is a historic moment for Scotland.

"The cause of home rule has been at the heart of Scottish politics since the days of Gladstone.

"This agreement provides a modern blueprint - Scottish home rule within our strong United Kingdom.

"Home rule for Scotland that can open the door to constitutional reform for the rest of the United Kingdom. We can achieve home rule all round."

Shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran welcomed the proposals, including securing of guarantees over the voting rights of Scottish MPs on the budget in Westminster and the continuation of the Barnett formula.

She said a Labour government would legislate in its first Queen's Speech.

Ms Curran said: "Ten weeks ago the people of Scotland, in overwhelming numbers, confirmed Scotland's place in the United Kingdom.

"It was a decision made on the highest turnout ever seen in these isles and it was a vote for change - change in the way Scotland is governed, change that will bring decisions closer to people but safer, faster, better change as part of the United Kingdom.

"A promise kept and an agreement delivered."

She went on: "Today's deal is, in fact, more radical and goes further than many had anticipated and on this side of the House we believe the principles we have worked for today - pushing power closer to people - is one that should be followed across Britain.

"That is why we will continue to call for a constitutional convention to be established to consider how this will be achieved, working with all the nations and regions of the United Kingdom."

Ms Curran asked for details on how the Scottish Parliament will be consulted to ensure they are well prepared for the transfer of new powers.

She said: "For the past two years our country was divided on Yes and No lines. Today marks an important moment - there are no longer Yes and No, just Scots with new powers, and we look forward to working across Scotland to deliver this."

In reply, Mr Carmichael said closer working with the Scottish and UK parliaments included the suggestion that Speaker John Bercow might wish to consider meeting the Scottish Parliament's presiding officer Tricia Marwick to build the cooperation.

He said the devolution proposals would be implemented "without hesitation, without reservation and without equivocation".

Mr Bercow intervened to tell MPs: "I meet regularly with the presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament, a fact of which I suspect colleagues might be aware, and I'm very happy to meet with her as necessary. Indeed."

Former chancellor Alistair Darling, who led the No campaign in the Scottish independence referendum, said the Government must be careful not to undermine the strength of the Union and stressed that the "central pillar" of pooled tax collecting powers must be kept in place.

The Labour MP said: "As we implement these and as we discuss - and we must discuss further devolution to other parts of the United Kingdom - will you ensure that we do nothing that undermines the integrity and the strength of the United Kingdom?

"In particular that we do not undermine the fiscal union that is one of the central pillars of that United Kingdom.

"The majority of people in Scotland voted clearly to stay within the United Kingdom. I believe the majority of people in the entire United Kingdom want to see it continue and we must be very careful that we manage this carefully.

"Other big countries have done it, we can do it too."

Scottish National Party deputy leader Stewart Hosie described the deal as "modest progress" which did not give Scotland the "powerhouse parliament" it had been promised before the independence referendum.

He said: "The substantive parts of this are the devolution of less than 30% of Scotland's tax base, less than 20% of welfare, and the assignation of a share of VAT.

"While that's interesting as far as it goes I do also note the absence of further substantive job-creating powers.

"The Scottish National Party will not stand in the way of these powers, I think it's important to put that on the record. And I do welcome the report as modest progress.

"However can I ask you to confirm that however it's dressed up, these proposals do not reflect the powerhouse parliament which many in Scotland believed they had been promised before the referendum?"

Mr Carmichael replied: "There are significant job-creating powers in this package and the Scottish Parliament already holds significant job-creating powers.

"So if Nicola Sturgeon is sincere when she says that she wants to govern for the whole of Scotland, the 100%, then she should get on and use the powers she has got, she should welcome the ones that she is getting and use them for the benefit of all the people of Scotland.

"You predictably and depressingly seek to suggest that this is not a fulfilment of 'The Vow'. Well The Vow was on the front page of the Daily Record. I have, for the benefit of the House today, today's Daily Record - on the front page, 'The Vow Delivers'."

Several MPs called for the introduction of some form of English devolution.

Former Commons leader Sir George Young said the proposals in the McKay commission, which called for only English MPs to vote on laws that only affect England, needed to be addressed urgently.

He said: "Would you agree that the proposals you have just announced further accentuate the imbalance in the British constitution between England and the rest of the United Kingdom? Would you therefore agree that it would be wrong as some have proposed to kick the McKay proposals into the long grass?

"They now need to be addressed with some urgency."

Political and Constitutional Reform Committee chairman Graham Allen declared it "a great day for democracy" but stressed anything but a quick implementation of English devolution could fan the flames of English nationalism.

The Labour MP said: "Can I welcome this and say this is a great day for democracy and what's good enough for Scotland is now good enough for England.

"If we don't (get to this quickly) then what you may do is create the sort of nationalism that was evident in Scotland. By our sloth on this you may end up creating that very same nationalism in England, which I think you would regret."

Tory former minister Sir Gerald Howarth called for English votes for English laws and questioned whether devolving more powers to Scotland would inflame pro-independence sentiment.

He said: "I think this is no way to introduce massive constitutional change, carrying as it does with it major implications for the rest of the United Kingdom which has not been consulted at all on these matters. Not least on the question of how English votes are to be applied to English laws.

"So can I ask you, do you believe these proposals will contain or will they further inflame separatist sentiment in Scotland?"

Another Tory former minister, John Redwood, also highlighted the imbalance between Scotland and England on tax powers.

He said: "Do you agree with me that once Scotland is determining her own income tax rates and bands in the Scottish Parliament, it would be quite wrong for Scottish members of this Parliament to be trying to fix those bands and rates for the English?"