Alex Salmond told MSPs Scotland has "zero say" in UK monetary policy at the moment, during first minister's questions on 7 June 2012. Mr Salmond was replying to a question from Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, who said an independent Scotland would have "less control over our economy not more." Ms Lamont said there had been a Scottish chancellor for 13 years making policy, but now the SNP were hoping Scotland "might possibly have representation" on the Bank of England's monetary policy committee if Scotland were to become independent. She said Mr Salmond was coming up with an "incoherent assortment of assertions" in the hope he would "hoodwink the Scottish people." The first minister said it was "arithmetically impossible to have less say than zero" which was what he said Scotland had at the moment. He said the Bank of England was an independent central bank and said comments from Professor Blanchflower on its monetary policy committee substantially supported the Scottish government's suggestion that there should be a Scottish member on the committee. Mr Salmond said that would increase the monetary control Scotland had and went on to call for full control of Scotland's fiscal policy too, to allow a government elected by the people of Scotland to take decision in the interest of Scotland too. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson pressed the first minister on whether an independent Scotland would have its own separate special forces to protect oil and gas interests in the North Sea. Mr Salmond said Scotland would have the "range of forces required to protect Scottish assets and interests."