Questions regarding Scottish border: FOI release

Information requested

Any analysis or assessment made by the Scottish Government on whether independence would require a border between Scotland and the rest of the UK or the EU.

Response

Within the current constitutional arrangements there are already recognised borders between the four nations of the UK for various purposes; for example, Scotland is a separate legal jurisdiction. The UK’s border arrangements with the EU following withdrawal also currently apply to Scotland.

In the run-up to the independence referendum on 18 September 2014, the Scottish Government published its proposals for the arrangements between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK and the EU. These are set out fully in Scotland’s Future published in November 2013: www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-future/.

We have identified additional information within the scope of your request, which is available in the link below and in Annex A of this letter.

www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20141129032952/http:/www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/5894/downloads

The Scottish Government was recently re-elected on a manifesto commitment to hold a further referendum on independence. The Government has made clear that full information will be available to the people of Scotland before that vote. However, work to update the plan from 2014 has been paused since 18 March 2020 to focus on the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance exemptions under Sections 29(1)(a) Formulation of Government Policy and 30(b)(i) Free and Frank Provision of Advice, 30(c) (prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and 38(i)(b) (Personal Information) of FOISA applies to some of the information requested. The reasons why these exemptions apply are explained in Annex B of this letter.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI - 202100196894 - Information Released - Annex A and B

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