Moore tells Salmond ‘time is pressing’ on self-rule vote

In a speech to the National Business Convention in Edinburgh, he was due to claim the UK and Scottish governments were close to an agreement and he hoped to meet with the First Minster in the next few weeks to clear the way for a deal by late October.

Mr Moore was expected to repeat the UK Government’s view that unless Westminster passes a Section 30 Order, handing over the relevant power to Holyrood, any referendum would be blocked by the courts. He was due to claim the Scottish people needed to know that the process and outcome of any referendum will be “clear, certain and beyond legal challenge”.

He was expected to add: “An attempt to hold a referendum outwith the law would look like an attempt to ensure that there is no referendum at all.”

Mr Moore was also expected to point out the Scottish Government’s consultation on the referendum closed four months ago and the results were eagerly awaited.

“It’s time to crack on. Time is pressing. The sooner we can get the process issues out of the way and get on to the ‘Great Debate’ itself the better for  everyone.”