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| Cost of setting up independent Scotland could be £1.5bn, claims Treasury | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| The cost of setting up an independent Scottish state could be as much as £1.5bn, the Treasury claimed yesterday, prompting another fierce row with Alex Salmond. | The cost of setting up an independent Scottish state could be as much as £1.5bn, the Treasury claimed yesterday, prompting another fierce row with Alex Salmond. |
| In an official paper to be published on Wednesday, the UK Government will say the one-off cost of replicating about 180 public bodies currently combined with England, Wales and Northern Ireland could amount to £600 per household. | In an official paper to be published on Wednesday, the UK Government will say the one-off cost of replicating about 180 public bodies currently combined with England, Wales and Northern Ireland could amount to £600 per household. |
| Whitehall’s analysis has also put the cost of a new benefit system at £400m and of setting up a new tax system at up to £562m. It challenged the First Minister to put his own price on an Scottish independent state so that voters could make an “informed choice” in September’s referendum. | Whitehall’s analysis has also put the cost of a new benefit system at £400m and of setting up a new tax system at up to £562m. It challenged the First Minister to put his own price on an Scottish independent state so that voters could make an “informed choice” in September’s referendum. |
| But Mr Salmond described the Treasury analysis as flawed and called for it to be withdrawn. “The Treasury are either guilty of a horrendous blunder, or it is a deliberate and deeply dishonest attempt to deceive – either way, it leaves the Treasury’s analysis without a shred of credibility, and they should withdraw this misleading claim,” he said. | But Mr Salmond described the Treasury analysis as flawed and called for it to be withdrawn. “The Treasury are either guilty of a horrendous blunder, or it is a deliberate and deeply dishonest attempt to deceive – either way, it leaves the Treasury’s analysis without a shred of credibility, and they should withdraw this misleading claim,” he said. |
| A spokesman for Scotland’s Finance Secretary, John Swinney, added: “Much of the infrastructure needed for an independent country already exists, and Scottish taxpayers already pay their fair share for all devolved and reserved services – while Scotland also stands to inherit a fair share of joint assets, valued at about 1.3 trillion dollars.” The Treasury analysis looks at the costs of creating a new state and considers research by the Institute for Government, the London School of Economics and Canadian professor Robert Young. | A spokesman for Scotland’s Finance Secretary, John Swinney, added: “Much of the infrastructure needed for an independent country already exists, and Scottish taxpayers already pay their fair share for all devolved and reserved services – while Scotland also stands to inherit a fair share of joint assets, valued at about 1.3 trillion dollars.” The Treasury analysis looks at the costs of creating a new state and considers research by the Institute for Government, the London School of Economics and Canadian professor Robert Young. |
| His research, based on Quebec setting up a new state, estimates it could cost up to 1 per cent of a country’s GDP to establish the new systems required to run a newly independent state. In Scotland’s case, 1 per cent of its GDP would see taxpayers face a £1.5bn tax bill – equivalent to £600 per household, the Treasury said. | His research, based on Quebec setting up a new state, estimates it could cost up to 1 per cent of a country’s GDP to establish the new systems required to run a newly independent state. In Scotland’s case, 1 per cent of its GDP would see taxpayers face a £1.5bn tax bill – equivalent to £600 per household, the Treasury said. |
| The IfG and the LSE have published independent analysis that puts the average cost of setting up a new policy department at £15m. Applying this figure to 180 new departments for Scotland totals £2.7bn. | The IfG and the LSE have published independent analysis that puts the average cost of setting up a new policy department at £15m. Applying this figure to 180 new departments for Scotland totals £2.7bn. |