Smith Commission: Parties look at thousands of submissions
- Published
Representatives from the five Holyrood parties are now looking at the thousands of submissions to the Smith Commission on more powers for Scotland.
Businesses, charities and civic organisations made 380 submissions and there were 14,000 letters and emails from the public.
The Smith Commission is chaired by Lord Smith of Kelvin.
It was set up after the Scottish independence referendum to examine greater devolution in Scotland.
Smith Commission
Where submissions came from
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380 - Businesses, charities and civic groups
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14,000 - Letters and emails from the public
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400 - Submissions made available on Commission website
The peer said: "We have received a broad range of views and I have been delighted by the response from both civic groups and wider society."
The case of immigration policy is perhaps an exception to our general approach since the emphasis of the Bible is clearly to offer succour to victims
The SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens - who sit on the commission began talks last month in a bid to reach agreement on the way ahead. They are working to a tight deadline and most come to an agreement by 30 November.
Evidence demonstrates that devolving Air Passenger Duty to Scotland.... will distort the competitive market for air travel in the UK
The party representatives will gather again in Edinburgh to discuss the feedback given to the commission from organisations like Scottish Athletics. Since his appointment, Lord Smith has held fact-finding meetings in Inverness, the Borders, Aberdeen, Dundee, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
We do seek wider and increased opportunities for Scottish Athletes to compete for Scotland on the world stage
Responses have come from outside Scotland, including business organisations from just over the border like North East Chamber of Commerce.
We have serious concerns that the implications of any further devolution to Scotland on North East England has not been considered in any meaningful way
Public bodies have also voiced their opinions including Cosla, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Police Federation.
The Commission should endorse a statement that it is iniquitous that the Scottish people cannot directly determine the global funding arrangements for the Parliament
When Lord Smith took on the role, he said: "My job is to create a process through which politicians, civic institutions and the Scottish public can come together, work together and agree the detail of what those powers should be.
"To that end, I am working to one aim: to produce a unifying set of proposals by the 30 November 2014."
