SCOTLAND will not have a separate Brexit deal to the rest of the UK, the Scottish Secretary has said.

David Mundell told MSPs there will be a single agreement for the Whole of the United Kingdom.

The statement is blow to the hopes of the SNP that Scotland could retain membership of the single market even if the UK is not.

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It also enhances the prospect of Nicola Sturgeon calling a second referendum if Scotland is not in the single market.

Mr Mundell spoke at the European and External Relations Committee at Holyrood and told MSPs there would be no “special deal” for different parts of the UK.

He said: “What is envisaged is there would be a single agreement for the whole of the United Kingdom.

“That doesn’t mean that within that agreement there can’t be specific issues that would relate to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

“There won’t be a Scotland-only agreement, or a Wales-only agreement, or a Northern Ireland-only agreement.”

On the single market he said he wanted to “maximise our involvement in the single market”.

He added: “But it is not appropriate to look at existing structures, going forward what the UK is looking to achieve is a bespoke deal, a deal that is best for the UK, including the best for Scotland, but it is bespoke.”

He said that on immigration it would also be a UK policy, rejecting suggestions Scotland could have separate control over immigration.

He said “What I support is that it will for the United Kingdom to determine who enters the UK from the European Union.”

Nicola Sturgeon said that despite meeting Theresa May she was no clearer on what the UK Government plan was.

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She said: “When we met this week, the Prime Minister was unwilling or, I suspect, unable to answer even the most simple and obvious questions.

“Brexit might mean Brexit, but the Prime Minister couldn’t tell us exactly what that platitude means in practice.”

The committee convenor Joan McAlpine said that many questions remained unanswered.

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She said: “The Secretary of State’s evidence raised a number of questions. Will Scotland have full access to the Single Market after Brexit? What will be the position of EU citizens living in Scotland after Brexit? How many meetings of the Brexit sub-committee has he attended? We didn’t get clear answers to those questions.”