SNP committee chair rejects complaints on Salmond questions
The SNP MSP chairing the inquiry into the actions of the Scottish Government in connection with historic sexual harassment claims has rejected complaints from members of her committee after she stopped a line of questioning of permanent secretary Leslie Evans.
Linda Fabiani, the convener of the committee tasked with examining issues around the handling of complaints against former first minister Alex Salmond, shut down questioning around whether female staff were warned “not to be left alone” with Mr Salmond.
The response came on the same day the BBC said a “small change” had been made to its documentary on the Salmond trial, causing it to be briefly pulled from iplayer.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said it had been “stated publicly that female civil servants were advised not to be alone in the company of the former first minister – is that something that you were aware of?”. Ms Evans replied: “I cannot comment on that.”
Ms Fabiani then interjected to say the question was “not entirely appropriate in relation to what we are doing at this committee under its remit”.
Threemsps,alexcole-hamilton, Mr Fraser and Jackie Baillie, have complained to Ms Fabiani in a letter, asking her to allow them to “follow where the evidence takes us”.
In her response, Ms Fabiani rejected the criticism and said the committee’s remit covered the “collective culture and values” of the Scottish Government and not “individual cases or the behaviour of individuals”.
Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday, in response to a question from Mr Fraser at First Minister’s Questions, she was not aware of female civil servants being advised not be alone with Mr Salmond.
But she said MSPS probing the government’s handling of sexual harassment allegations made against the former first minster were “perfectly entitled” to take up this issue.
She vowed she herself was “absolutely committed to fully complying with the inquiry”.