Alister Jack has insisted that Scots "have no desire" to be part of the EU despite an overwhelming majority voting to Remain in 2016.
The Scottish Secretary told MPs on Wednesday that "there's no desire in Scotland to have membership of the EU."
The Conservative MP for Dumfries was answering questions about Scotland in the House of Commons.
More than 60 per cent of Scots voted remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum. A poll in August showed that over two-thirds wanted to rejoin the EU.
Jack was asked by SNP Scotland spokesperson Philippa Whitford: "Does the Secretary of State at least recognise the only route back to the EU for Scotland is as an independent country?"
Jack replied: "The deficit in Scotland is considerably higher than three per cent which is the mastery criteria. That is not the route back.
"The currency is a problem as well because, as we know, the Bank of England is the bank of last resort and there would have to be a new currency in Scotland followed by membership of the EU.
"There's no desire in Scotland to have membership of the EU. I believe that Scots, when they stop and look at the detail whether it's on their pensions, whether it's on trade, whether it's on currency, they stop, they think about it and they know that their home is in the United Kingdom."
Jack's comments caused uproar among the SNP MPs.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that the claim was "out of touch."
He said: “These remarks are hopelessly out of touch from a man who ought to have his pulse on what Scotland thinks. Like a great many Scots, Scottish Liberal Democrats still grieve our lost membership of the EU and the hard Brexit forced upon us by an inept Tory party. Like us, they recognise that the best future for Scotland and the whole of the UK is one that walks in step with our European neighbours.
“All too often Scotland finds itself squeezed between two narrow-minded nationalisms, the acid yellow of the SNP or Tory blue. The Conservatives' Brexit has wreaked enormous economic damage, while the SNP would happily leave Scotland outside both the UK and the EU.
"Scottish Liberal Democrats will make the case for closer ties with our European neighbours and offer practical solutions for repairing the damage caused by Brexit."
An attempt by SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn's to criticise Rishi Sunak about MPs' earnings during Prime Minister's Questions drastically backfired.
Flynn brought up Sky News and Tortoise project the Westminster Accounts which showed that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson earning more than £1 million from four speeches.
But Sunak hit back by reminding him that former SNP leader Alex Salmond had a programme on Russian-state controlled network RT which was formerly known as Russia Today.
Flynn said: "Let us reflect on numbers, and in particular the numbers on which Sam Coates of Sky News shone a light—notably those relating to the Prime Minister’s favourite potential successor, which showed that over four months, for four speeches, he had raked in more than £1 million.
"Does the Prime Minister not find it utterly perverse that senior members of the Conservative party are feathering their nests in this way, while at the same time seeking to deny working people the opportunity to strike for fair pay?"
Sunak responded: "I do not think we need to talk about our predecessors, but... If I am not mistaken, it was one of the honourable gentleman’s predecessors who worked for Russia Today."
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