Big cheers for Alex Salmond as he arrives in Parliament Square in Edinburgh, which was home to the old Scottish Parliament more than 300 years ago.

Image source, BBC

He will be reacting to the timetable for additional powers which was outlined by the pro-union parties earlier.

Blair Jenkins, from the Yes Scotland campaign, told the BBC news channel: "We want to protect our public services and the NHS and, on a basic note, get the government we vote for.

"Nothing said today addressed the fundamental points on this debate and I think the people of Scotland will see through this."

Norman Smith
Chief political correspondent, BBC News Channel

There will certainly be huge change in Scotland whatever happens after the referendum but it seems there will also be considerable change elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

If there is a vote for independence, that has massive constitutional implications. But even without a vote for independence, there are strong signs that that will still trigger significant change south of the border.

This morning we learn MPs at Westminster are to begin their own inquiry into what sort of additional powers, similar to the sort of powers now on offer to Scotland, what sort of similar powers might be handed to the English regions - whether they too should have some ability to decide where taxes are spent.

The second thing we learn is the extent to which although the three main union partiers are still fronting this campaign it is becoming a Labour-led campaign fronted by Gordon Brown, to try to shore up the Labour vote in the Scottish heartlands.

Blair Jenkins, chief executive of Yes Scotland, responded to Better Together's offer of greater autonomy for Scotland as being "driven by panic rather than principle".

Speaking on the BBC News channel, Mr Jenkins said: "I think it's too little too late, everything which has been mentioned today has been in the public domain in Scotland for several months.

"This comes down to trust, the debate has moved on from where the anti-independence parties want it to be. People in Scotland are deciding for themselves what we need to have in terms of decision-making powers."

Scotland's first minister and leader of the SNP, Alex Salmond, will be responding to the statement from the pro-union party leaders with his own media conference shortly.

The pro-Union Scottish party leaders presented a united front in Edinburgh after former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown set out his proposed schedule for new powers to be transferred to the Scottish Parliament.

He said it would start immediately after the referendum.

Mr Brown declared a No vote next week would be the "starting gun for action".

A white paper would be drawn up in November after a period of consultation, with draft clauses for legislation expected in January.

But with just over a week until the 18 September referendum, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has already dismissed the timetable for more powers from the Westminster parties as a "bribe" that has been made "because the Yes side is winning on the ground"

The leaders of the three main pro-union parties have come together to pledge more powers for Scotland if it rejects independence.

Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Scotland presented a united front at an event in Edinburgh where they promised change.

Labour's current proposals on new income tax powers don't go as far as those of the Lib Dems and the Conservatives.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont said: "We are mature enough and grown up enough in Scotland to come together and have that political debate.

"Since 2011 what we have seen is politics that spurns the idea of consensus, which always looks for the dividing line rather than what brings us together.

"We have made clear what our proposals are, we will argue for them, but we will reach a consensus where we can."

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said the new delivery plan would give people the certainty they had been asking for.

He said: "They will know after September that voting No means substantial change. It is guaranteed. This gives the certainty that people want."

He contrasted this with the uncertainty of independence on issues such as the currency and fluctuating oil revenues.

Iain, Crieff: So what was the status of this confused and contradictory set of "offers" before there was a "timetable". When would they have been delivered? How has the addition of a "timetable" altered their delivery? By six months? A year? It's a "guarantee"??? So they weren't guaranteed before????? This just lacks any credibility. They really do think we're daft.

Jim, Dunblane: At last, a credible plan for Devo Max, well done Gordon Brown for forcing the issue. We can finance and run the NHS the way we choose. Plus there are increasing warning signs of the serious financial damage that full separation will cause. If we wreck large parts of our economy, we won't be able to afford a Scottish NHS anyway. I'm now definitely supporting "No Thanks".

Mark David, Fife: This is what we, the electorate, have been asking for. White Paper v White Paper. Finally we have a decision to make with our heads as well as our hearts.

Tim Reid
Political correspondent, BBC News

The BBC understands that the three pro-Union parties are to sign up to a pledge that a new Scotland Act - devolving further powers in the event of a No vote - will be included in the first Queen's Speech after the 2015 General Election.

Under former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown's timetable, draft legislation will be debated early next year at Westminster but it would not be enacted since there wouldn't be time before the election.

The promise for it to be included in the first Queen's Speech, without final details of what powers would be devolved, is designed to counter accusations that the commitment to additional powers may never reach the statute books.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "We have all agreed that there should be more powers over income tax. We have all agreed that there should be more welfare devolved to the Scottish Parliament. We have also agreed some of the things we need to leave out. We have all agreed that actually our businesses in Scotland don't want to see different rates of corporation tax both sides of the border.

"So you can see there are broad themes developing there but we want to engage civic Scotland too. This isn't owned just by us. This is owned by Scotland. This is a way for Scotland to shape the powers it has in the future without walking away from the United Kingdom. This is a patriotic choice."

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont is asked why people have been told there will be new powers but not what they will be?

She said: "We have all put out detailed plans on our commitment on devolution but we have said we don't have simple ownership of this debate ourselves. What is clear is that people have been engaged in this constitutional debate so why would we shut out the opportunity for people to be consulted on these proposals and that's what the next stage is."

She said the parties all agreed there should be more tax-raising powers for the Scottish Parliament.

Would Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont be happy to see this delivered by a Conservative government at Westminster?

Ms Lamont said: "I'll be delighted to see it delivered because we know now it will definitely be delivered.

"Whatever happens, there will be more powers for the Scottish Parliament. That is an important commitment from all of us and it is significant because it tells us how important this debate is that we can have a strong Scottish Parliament inside the United Kingdom. That is, I believe, what people want."

Asked if she was happy to implement a plan from a former Labour prime minister, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: "We wanted to build consensus for the plans that we had and we will go into this process in good faith.

"It is a simple fact that the Conservatives do not have a majority in the House of Commons or in Holyrood so we would always be working with other parties in order to deliver this."

She said the Labour party had "worked incredibly hard" to bring us all together.

Mr Rennie also challenged the First Minister Alex Salmond to work with Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats following the referendum to achieve more devolution - to "deliver change for Scotland that Scotland wants".

Mr Rennie added: "The Liberal Democrats have put our shoulder to the wheel for more powers for many years. In order to get sustainable constitutional change you need to get wide consensus across the parties and beyond the parties as well. That is the way you secure proper change."

Willie Rennie, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, said: "All three parties are coming together as this is so important."

Ruth Davidson said the Scottish Conservatives had been on a journey with devolution.

She said: "We believe there is a way to develop devolution within the United Kingdom. You can have a strong Scottish Parliament - a Parliament that has to look Scottish taxpayers in the eye without walking away from the United Kingdom."

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said Gordon Brown had outlined a plan and the prime minister had endorsed it. She said: "I am delighted to stand here to welcome it too."