Despite disagreement from some sectors of the legal profession, I believe the rule of corroboration is outdated, confusing to apply and, more importantly, can preclude cases coming to court that in every other country in the world would proceed.

The abolition of corroboration would result in many more cases being heard against rape and domestic violence, as many of these cases escape justice and are blocked because of the requirement of corroboration in court.

I was a board member of Rape Crisis Scotland for over 10 years until recently and a former Convenor of the Cross Party Group on Men’s Violence against Women in the Scottish Parliament, so I am only too aware of how many more cases could be brought to justice if corroboration was not required.

The shocking fact is that recent statistics reveal domestic violence in West Dunbartonshire to be 36 per cent higher than the rest of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board area.

I caution people not to be influenced by the opinions of those with vested interests in matters of such importance, as any measure that blocks serious violent crimes being heard must be changed.

Talking of vested interests, the biased Unionist media have been keen to highlight scare stories about big business threatening to pull out of Scotland after a Yes vote if things aren’t conducive to business, without explaining that there are many big businesses who are more than comfortable with Scotland being an independent country.

Remember, some companies said if Scotland voted for devolution they would pull out — Standard Life being one of them — and none have pulled out. This time Standard Life have only said they may move to England if independence wasn’t good for their business. Scotland will be a good place for business to thrive and being a business owner myself, dealing with some of the biggest companies in the world, that’s also their opinion.

Since the referendum has been announced, we have attracted the highest level of inward investment in the UK, second only to London. If Scotland had been an independent country for the past 33 years (as the UK debt mountain grew) Scotland’s higher revenues would have meant that we would not have had to borrow a single penny.

Scotland would by now have a cash surplus of at least £50billion. Remember, all of the UK debt was generated outwith Scotland. If you believe in democracy, the performance of the Unionist press to only print manufactured bad news should be deplored no matter how you vote.

My next surgery is at Parkhall on Friday, March 21 , and the council offices on the 28th. Call in, or you can contact me at gil.paterson.msp@scottish. parliament.uk, or at my Clydebank office on 0141 952 9677.