DAVID Cameron has left the door open to new powers for Scotland beyond those recommended by the Smith Commission ... but not until the Smith plans have become law.

Following talks with Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh yesterday, the Prime Minister said he would consider new proposals from the Scottish Government for devolving further powers – including on welfare – to the Scottish Parliament. He added that there would be a fresh look at plans to give Holyrood more responsibilities, to make sure these reflect the agreement reached by the cross-party Smith Commission.

He spoke out after meeting face-to-face with the First Minister for the first time since last week’s General Election, which saw the Conservatives win an unexpected majority across the UK and the SNP take 56 out of 59 seats in Scotland.

Yesterday’s meeting followed the publication of a highly critical report by Holyrood’s Devolution Committee on the previous UK Government’s plans to transfer more power north which described them as not meeting “the spirit or the substance’’ of the Smith Agreement.

Cameron said his new Tory government would “make sure it really is Smith”, adding: “We’re going to look again at welfare and make sure the clauses reflect what that agreement was.”

He added: “The First Minister wants to send some proposals for me to look at and I’m happy to examine proposals – there’s going to be a debate, of course there will be a debate. I don’t rule out making other changes if sensible suggestions are made.”

While Cameron was open to considering further powers for Scotland, he said he did not believe a second independence referendum was “remotely on the cards”.

He spoke to journalists after having talks with Sturgeon at her official residence of Bute House.

The First Minister said two things of significance were agreed: a commitment from the Prime Minister that the legislation to implement the proposals of the Smith Commission will see them enacted them in full; and an agreement to consider proposals for further devolution.

She added: “I am not going to put words in his mouth and say he has agreed any specific proposals, but there is an agreement to look at that and there will be a meeting with the Deputy First Minister and the Secretary of State for Scotland to take that discussion forward.

“I want Scotland to have full fiscal autonomy, David Cameron doesn’t, but what we said in our manifesto was that there were priority powers over and above the Smith Commission that we wanted to see devolved.

“So, what we are talking about are business taxes and employment legislation, the minimum wage and more powers over welfare.

“I recognise that even if there was an agreement to move to full fiscal autonomy, which there is not, that would take time to do,” she added.

Cameron said he had had a “very positive meeting” with the SNP leader and confirmed he would meet his election pledge to include a Bill on more powers for Holyrood in his first Queen’s Speech.

The Conservative leader said: “I made a commitment before the election, if I was the Prime Minister I would implement the Smith Commission report in full by introducing a Scotland Bill in the first Queen’s Speech and I can confirm that is exactly what I will do.

“It was an agreement made in Scotland for Scotland by the Scottish parties and I’ll make sure we implement every aspect of it.

“That will build a Scottish Parliament that doesn’t just look after the vital issues of health and education and those devolved matters, but it will give real power over taxation and spending, so if Scotland wants to take different decisions about how much money to spend, what taxes to raise, it will be able to do so, and I think that’s the right future for Scotland.”

The Scottish Parliament is already due to get some power over income tax in April 2016, as a result of changes to the devolution settlement made by the Tory-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government.

But the Smith Commission called for far greater powers over income tax to be handed over, along with some control over benefits and welfare north of the Border.

Cameron stressed, however, that he did not support SNP demands for full fiscal autonomy, which would make the Scottish Parliament responsible for raising all the money it spends – and which he believed would land Scotland £7 billion of extra taxes or £7bn of extra cuts.

He also insisted his new government had a mandate to press ahead with plans to withdraw from the Human Rights Act and to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union.

Both these could put his Westminster government on a collision course with the Scottish Government.

Sturgeon has said repealing the Human Rights Act is an “appalling thing to be doing” and has argued Scotland should not be taken out of the EU against its wishes, even if a majority across the UK supports such a move.