The government and opposition have united in urging restraint in the debate over Scottish independence, during question time on 5 February 2014.

Their remarks followed a lively exchange between Scotland Secretary Alistair Carmichael and the SNP's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, who renewed his party's calls for David Cameron to face Alex Salmond in a debate on the issue.

Mr Robertson claimed the public favour such an event by a majority of four to one, and demanded to know: "How long can the prime minister continue supporting everybody else becoming part of the debate but run away from one himself?"

The secretary of state then accused nationalists of "trying to set this decision up as a contest between Scotland and England, which it absolutely is not, it is about Scotland's best-placed constitutional future".

Shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran asked for confirmation that "all businesses, trade unions, voluntary organisations have a right to be heard without insult, intimidation or fear of the consequences".

She said: "Business leaders told me of intimidatory tactics to stop them intervening," and was concerned it represented a "pattern of behaviour".

In response, Mr Carmichael paid tribute to the Scottish Daily Mail's efforts to "highlight the poison that is coming into this debate from some of the cyber-interventions".

"We are all going to have to work together," he continued. "That is not not going to be possible if we allow the well to be poisoned in the way that cybernats in particular seemed determined to do."