A LEAKED document has revealed that the Tories are pressing on with preparations to introduce the "power grab" Internal Market Bill.

The memo, snapped while a staff member from the Scotland Office was standing outside reading it, has caused fresh fears over an attempt to centralise power over the legislation, thereby removing the devolved administrations from any input.

Amongst the points set out in the memo was an indication that the UK Government will move to establish “a new independent Office for the Internal Market” to “monitor the smooth running” of the legislation.

There are fears that devolved areas could be under threat from the “power grab” move from Westminster, such as food safety, minimum pricing, environmental policy and animal health and welfare.

Health campaigners, farmers and groups across Scotland have already set out their opposition to the plans. Last month the Scottish Parliament overwhelmingly voted to reject the proposals by 92 votes to 31.

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell warned back in July: “Every single power that the Scottish Parliament has can be undermined and taken away by these proposals. Every single one.”

And just last week, Russell wrote to Michael Gove stating that the UK Government “should be left in no doubt about the strength and breadth of opposition to their bid to undermine devolution”.

Now the leaked document has prompted further outrage over the already controversial plans, with Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie stating that the Tories are “taking their contempt for Scotland to new levels”.

Harvie said: “The Tories internal market proposal was subject to a very short consultation, with no draft bill presented, and which took place while the Scottish Parliament was in recess. Now just three weeks after the consultation closed it seems ministers are already singing off the press release, but still nobody has seen the legislation.

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“The proposals are completely incompatible with devolution, threatening a huge range of policy areas including environmental, food and farming standards. If allowed to proceed these plans would even threaten Scotland’s decisions to ban fracking or prevent new nuclear power stations. The internal market could also put at risk bold public health measures such as minimum unit pricing, and it certainly could allow further private sector involvement in our NHS.

“The UK Government has taken its contempt for Scotland to new levels during this process. It has refused to discuss this assault on devolution with MSPs and it has declined to show the draft legislation to devolved administrations. It’s no wonder that a growing majority in Scotland are coming to the realisation that Scotland’s interests are best served by taking our future into our own hands.”

The SNP additionally warned that the move would be "the biggest raid on devolution since 1999".

The party's Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, said: "The leaked pictures confirm what we have been warning about since these proposals first emerged - the Tories are preparing to overrule the democratic will of the Scottish Parliament and are laying the groundwork for the biggest raid on devolution since 1999.

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"Despite the decisive rejection from the Scottish Parliament, the Tories are intent on undermining devolution and continuing with their power grab plans.

"The SNP remain firmly opposed to this power grab and the Tory government must step back from these plans that will take a wrecking ball to the very foundations of the devolution settlement.

"People in Scotland are already looking on in dismay at the out of touch Westminster system acting against our interests - with majority support for independence already becoming the settled position.

"If the Tories continue with their power grab threat, then it would be yet further evidence that Scotland's interests are best served and protected by becoming an independent country."