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The committee may be joint but the ministers taking part have decidedly different perspectives.

For David Cameron, : taking the devolved institutions seriously; working in consort with the devolved administrations.

With regard to Scotland, this serves two purposes. It helps to counter the lingering impression that the Tories are remote from Scotland, "other than Scottish": an impression reinforced when they previously stood out against Scottish self-government.

Secondly, for the prime minister, it contrives to sidestep the small problem that the Tories have but one MP in Scotland.

No, they can say, we are not governing Scotland as a tiny minority north of the Border.

We are working co-operatively with the elected SNP Scottish Government. Helps too that their coalition partners have more Scottish seats than the SNP.

For the Nationalists? Perhaps three distinct purposes.

Subordinate cause

Firstly, it underlines the status of the devolved government.

The JMC fell into disuse in the early days of devolution partly because Labour minister (in Westminster) talked informally to Labour minister (in Edinburgh) - but also because the Whitehall world-view featured Holyrood as a department, rather than a government: as a subordinate cause.

Secondly, Alex Salmond plans to use the JMC to press for specific concessions on spending: for example, the demand that the devolved territories should get their Barnett consequential share of money spent regenerating London off the back of the Olympics.

Expect the UK Government to make concessions, where possible, but also to evangelise on the need for spending cuts.

Thirdly, the JMC fits with Mr Salmond's longer term strategy - which is to work consensually and sensibly within the existing UK structure while simultaneously inviting the people of Scotland to conclude that much more could be done with enhanced powers and, ultimately, independence.

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