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The National Conversation on Scotland's constitutional future was intensified yesterday with a pledge by Scottish Ministers to publish a White Paper on independence on St Andrews Day 2009.

The document will be the conclusion of the process set out when the Scottish Government published its National Conversation white paper in August 2007, and will form the basis of the case for independence which Ministers plan to put to the people of Scotland in a referendum in 2010.

First Minister Alex Salmond said that the views of the public will inform the content of the White Paper, through a series of public consultation events and position papers for discussion.

At a free-ranging question and answer session held, as part of the National Conversation, at the Howden Park Centre in Livingston, the First Minister contrasted the open nature of the National Conversation with the Calman Commission's contribution, which he described as 'limited by its own top-down approach' and setting clear limits on Scotland's ambition.

The FM said:

"The Scottish Government have led discussion and debate on how we can build a more successful Scotland with more responsibilities, and independence and equality for our nation.

"The people of Scotland should decide the nation's constitutional future based on their sovereign right - as set out in the Claim of Right some 20 years ago - and no one should limit Scotland's ambitions, as the Calman Commission seeks to do.

"That is why the National Conversation has included a range of possibilities for Scotland's constitutional future for discussion and open debate.

"The intensification of the National Conversation that gets under way today will enable people across the country to determine the best way forward.

"And it will culminate in the publication of a White Paper on St Andrew's Day, setting out the case for independence that we seek to put to the people of Scotland in a referendum in 2010.

"My message to Scotland is clear - putting the people in charge of our nation's future is what the National Conversation is all about.

"It is time that the people were given the opportunity to decide and build the strongest future for our nation."

The First Minister announced that in order to encourage engagement and improve access to information about the issues, the National Conversation would now expand the following areas of activity:

• Publication of a series of papers on the key issues for Scotland - to deepen discussions by focusing on options for issues such as energy, social welfare, defence, and Europe
• Public involvement around Summer cabinets - allowing peope across the country the opportunity to engage with Ministers
• More town hall meetings across the country - providing local forums for discussion and sharing ideas.
• Publication of a White Paper on independence on St Andrews Day as a key part of the process leading to a referendum in 2010

To date, the National Conversation website has had more than 500,000 hits and recorded more than 4,500 comments.

3. Over 3,000 people have attended one of the 25 National Conversation events held over the past year.

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