Scotland

Leading Scottish firms are acting ahead of the referendum later this year to move operations out of the country into the rest of the UK, according to a survey.

Alliance Trust has begun to implement plans to relocate parts of the business to England, amid growing uncertainty caused by the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence.

Scotland's £800bn fund management industry has begun to step up contingency plans in the event the country's populace votes for independence this September.

The Scottish government will be able to issue its own bonds from 2015 in a "historic" devolution of borrowing powers, the Treasury has announced.

The Bank of England governor will enter the Scottish independence debate by reflecting on the currency implications of a "Yes" vote in the referendum.

REGULATION

Scottish taxpayers will have to pay out £1.6bn a year to fund initiatives set out in the white paper on the country's independence which have not yet been allocated cash, according to Treasury figures.

SCOTLAND

Scotland should avoid altering pensions tax relief if it becomes independent, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF)has said.

Advisers are concerned that a Scottish independence would have a huge impact on their business, research commissioned by the Association of Professional Financial Advisers (APFA) has revealed.