MSP’S concern at ‘missing’ Salmond data
● Fabiani hits out over amount of information that has been deleted
The Scottish Government is under pressure to spell out what efforts are being made to “retrieve any information that has been deleted” relating to its collapsed harassment inquiry into Alex Salmond.
The head of the Holy rood committee set up to look at the case now wants to know if action was taken quickly enough by the government to ensure key data was retained.
Linda Fabiani hit out yesterday after the Scottish Government’s top civil servant, Leslie Evans, told MSPS earlier this year that some details may have been deleted and cannot be retrieved.
“Given the committee’s role in scrutinising the Scottish Government’ s actions, you will appreciate that this is of serious concern to committee members,” Ms Fabiani stated in a letter to Ms Evans.
The Court of Session found the Scottish Government had acted unlawfully over the way it handled two complaints about Mr Salmond’s conduct in January, resulting in ministers conceding defeat after a legal challenge brought by the ex-first Minister.
Mr Salmond has since been charged with separate criminal allegations, including attempted rape.
He denies all claims of wrongdoing.
A specially established Holyrood committee has been set up, headed by Nationalist MSP Fabiani, to look into the collapse of the government’ s initial case. It has agreed to suspend its deliberations until the criminal case is disposed of, but is concerned about the prospect of vital information being deleted by the government.
But MSPS are keen that key evidence is retained. This has resulted in a number of strained exchanges with the government and Nicola Sturgeon in recent months.
Ms Evans, the head of the civil service in Scotland, has already told the committee that staff who may hold information relevant to the probe have been instructed not to delete it.
But Ms Fa bi an ii snow demanding to see a copy of the government’s records management plan, along with any other retention and disposal schedules applying both to Outlook and to any other electronic systems used by civil servants.
MS P sal so want to know what happens to information that is deleted as par t of the records management process or otherwise.
“In the case of this inquiry, what attempts have been made to retrieve any information that has been deleted,” Ms Fabiani asks.
“For example, is any such information held on back-up files or other IT systems from which such information could be retrieved?”
And she adds :“The committee is also concerned about the timescales involved and whether the action taken to preserve this information following the committee’ s request was carried out in time to ensure that all relevant information is retained.”
The committee has also written to First Minister Ms Sturgeon calling for clarity that her commitment to preserve “documents and information” relating to the case will also apply to SNP staff members and other people she employs.
“Although we assume this will be the case, I would be grateful if you could confirm that this instruction to pre - serve all documents and information will apply to those individuals,” the letter says.
The committee is due to meet next on 20 June and wants responses the week before.
“Given the committee’s role in scrutinising the Scottish Government’s actions, you will appreciate that this is of serious concern to committee members”
LINDA FABIANI
Committee convenor