From the archive: Government and a Scots parliament 31 July, 1950

IT IS the view of the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Scotland and other Scottish ministers that the question of the establishment of a Scottish Parliament within the framework of the United Kingdom can only be settled “by the normal process of Parliamentary democracy”, and not by a plebiscite.

In reply to the questionnaire sent to MPs on behalf of the National Covenant Committee, the Secretary of State, Mr Hector McNeil MP, wrote on behalf of Mr Attlee and his Scottish colleagues from the Scottish Office, London, on July 27: “In the view of my colleagues and myself, the issues involved are complicated, and cannot be dealt with by simple question and answer of the kind contained in the questionnaire, or by a plebiscite. I should add, too, that it is our view that constitutional change in this country is considered and settled by the normal process of Parliamentary democracy.”