There is still a good deal of misunderstanding about the scope of the committee of inquiry under the chairmanship of Lord Catto.
It is not an inquiry into the desirability or feasibility of Scottish self government. It has been asked solely to report on the availability of statistics. All students of Scotland’s economy would eagerly welcome statistics of Scottish imports and exports and the balance of payments with other countries, including the rest of the United Kingdom - if these statistics can be obtained at reasonable cost in time and money; but obviously they are not a prerequisite to the establishment of a Scottish parliament on the covenant model, which would leave unimpaired the existing customs union with England. Wales, and Northern Ireland, and would involve no interference with trade between these countries and Scotland.