But a Scottish Conservative Party spokesman said that Scots Tories knew Scotland was "better off in Britain".

BBC: Scottish money

The Scottish Conservative Party interpreted Mr Blair's decision somewhat differently to the SNP.

BBC: Reid remains at Scotland Office

Scottish Conservative Party leader, Annabel Goldie, said the legislative programme "did not lack quantity", but it was "quality which matters".

BBC: Scots ministers to reform police, jobs and alcohol laws

"It is a decision for the Scottish Conservative Party what its future should be, " he told BBC One's Andrew Marr programme.

BBC: Scottish Tory leadership favourite 'to split party'

Scottish Conservative Party spokesman Murdo Fraser called for a reduction in business rates to below the English level to give Scottish firms a "competitive advantage".

BBC: Beer pumps inside a pub

David McLetchie (Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party) said the only way to restore local control over fisheries was to vote Conservative at the next election as the General Election would precede any referendum.

BBC: Photo of Scottish flag

Scottish Conservative MSP Margaret Mitchell said her party supported the council tax freeze and the continuation of the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

BBC: Local government finance debate

Scottish Conservative Leader Annabel Goldie asked if Mr Salmond would match her party's commitment to maintain police numbers for the next four years, to which he succinctly replied "Yes, I will".

BBC: First ministers questions

The referendum committee organising the vote is made up of the Dialectic Society, Politics Society, Labour Club, Scottish Nationalist Association, Liberal Democrats, International Socialist Group, Conservative and Unionist Party and the Feminist Society.

BBC: Glasgow University

Murdo Fraser, one of the three candidates and currently the party's deputy leader in Scotland, thinks the Conservative brand is so toxic north of the border that the Scottish party should abolish itself and come back in another guise, only loosely allied to Mr Cameron's outfit.

ECONOMIST: Scottish politics

Labour MSP Ken Macintosh, Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie, SNP MSP Gil Patterson and Green MSP and party co-convener Patrick Harvie all paid warm tributes to the retiring ministers and wittily welcomed the new appointments.

BBC: Ministerial appointments debate