Is devolution good for the Scottish economy? A framework for analysis

This briefing sets out a framework for addressing the question: Is devolution good for the Scottish economy? We are currently implementing the approach and shall report the results in due course. We begin with two observations. Economic issues were clearly not the sole, or even the primary, motivation for Scottish devolution. However, given the current priority given to the decentralised delivery of policies to improve productivity the effect is of considerable interest. Devolution being 'good for the Scottish economy' is not necessarily the same thing as being 'good for the Scottish people'. If, for example, Scotland wanted to become 'greener', this could imply a desire for slower growth than in the rest of the UK. We set out below the aggregate effects and the specific mechanisms through which devolution might be expected to impact on the economy.