SCOTTISH Government civil servants have compiled at least 13 secret briefings about a second referendum on independence since 2016.

The Scottish Tories happened across the briefings through a freedom of information (FoI) request, and have demanded the SNP government publish the files in full.

The detail of the documents are not known, but in their response to the Tories, the Scottish Government say they contain legal advice given to ministers.

While civil servants acknowledged the public interest a second referendum, they argued that there was a “greater public interest in ensuring high quality policy and decision-making by Government” which could only be “achieved through allowing Ministers and officials the private space they need to consider all available options and to debate those rigorously and to fully understand their possible implications".

The Tories have now submitted an appeal to Daren Fitzhenry, the Scottish Information Commissioner.

Tory chief whip Maurice Golden said: “These secret briefings prove that the prospect of a second independence referendum is never off the SNP’s table.

“The question was settled in 2014. Yet, in the years afterwards, civil servants were still churning out briefings for ministers so they could continue banging the drum for separation in front of the cameras. That is irresponsible government.

“Instead, the nationalists should have been putting all their efforts into improving schools, hospitals, infrastructure and the economy.

“The SNP government clearly deemed it necessary for taxpayer-funded civil servants to produce these highly-political briefings.

“As such, they should now be published, as part of the SNP’s so-called commitment to open and transparent government.”

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.

The UK government was criticised last year for refusing to publish 58 Brexit impact assessments compiled for civil servants.

The Department for Exiting the European Union denied Labour MP Seema Malhotra's freedom of information request for the scope, terms of reference and state of completion of the assessments into how leaving the European Union will affect 58 sectors of the British economy.

The Brexit department said: "There is a strong public interest in policy-making associated with our exit from the EU being of the highest quality and conducted in a safe space to allow for design and deliberation to be done in private."

It was only in August this year that the government begin publishing its Brexit technical notices, setting out the consequences of crashing out of the EU without a deal.