From: dam@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk (David Morning)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic
Subject: Re: Scotland: Independance v Devolution
Date: 9 Apr 92 08:55:39 GMT
Organization: Glasgow University Computing Science Dept.

mbrennan@swift.cs.tcd.ie (Micheal O'Braonain) writes:

[Independance in Europe/Independance/devolution for Scotland]

>A parliment - it's powers
>Income     - would all income tax go directly to a Scottish assembly to
>             dole out as it wished, or would it go via London.

Devolved, no. Income tax would still go the the central UK coffers but, 
depending on the form of devolved assembly, it may have additional tax raising
powers and that would stay in Scotland.
Either independant status, obviously yes, income tax revenue would stay in
Scotland.

>             Does anyone really know what would happen to the oil
>             wells

It only becomes a problem in the independant mode due to there being 2
effective border extensions out to the North Sea from the Scottish mainland
at the Tweed. One border is administrative while the other is, I think, legal.
I can't remember which is which but it looks roughly like this

                        [Lots of oilfields here]

                       -------------------------------
                      /
                     /   [~2 oilfields here]
                    /
                   /        --------------------------- Southern border
                  /       /
                 /      /
                /     /
        *      /    /
Scottish*     /   /                  NORTH SEA
Mainland *   /  /
         *  / /
          *//
         ==*  
       ==   * 
     ==  Land border Scotland/England

Just which border would be chosen, or whether or not a compromise would
be reached is unclear but even if the northern border extension was chosen,
the 2 oil fields that would fall within the English zone are small. The bulk
of the oilfields would still fall within the Scottish zone

>Law making - could a scottish assembly for example permit/forbid
>             abortion/divorce/cannibus/homosexual acts/other 
>             controversial issues.  Apart from European law, would
>             it be bound by any British constitution.

No change. Scotland already has it's own legal system quite independant of
England and has had for a great many years. Indeed the Scottish legal system
is admired so much by the English, they've been 'borrowing' from it :-)

>passports  - GB or scottish?

Independant in Europe would probably be some sort of Euro-passport. Otherwise
Scottish. Devolution- no change.

>Perhaps someone could differentiate between common or garden independance,
>independance within europe and devolution under these headings.  

Devolution just means you get a "talk-shop" and *some* control over your own
affairs, *some* being the variable. The country would still be part of the UK.
Isle of Man I suppose, could be considered an example with it's own parliament
currency, law making etc although it does have some tax benefits.


Dave

-- 
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| Dave Morning                     | "Broon Hee Haw Maw"                     | 
|dam@dcs.glasgow.ac.uk             |                                         |
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