Alex Salmond inquiry chair angry at delay and lack of transparency
L i n d a Fa b i a n i , c h a i r o f t h e H o l y r o o d i n q u i r y i n t o t h e handling of harassment complaints against the former first minister, has expressed anger at a lack of transparency by the Scottish Government.
The SNP MSP said she was frustrated at having to continually write to government, a n d o t h e r s wh o a r e g iv i n g evidence including Alex Salmond, to seek answers.
H e r s t a t e m e n t c o m e s a s the committee publishes two more letters demanding inform a t i o n f r o m D e p u t y F i r s t Minister John Swinney and for a written statement from Mr Salmond.
It also comes a day after the committee wrote to the government giving it until Friday to release the legal advice it received prior to losing a judicial review of its handling of complaints.
Ms Fabiani said: “Week after week the committee i s i n a position where it is clear to us that the evidence being shared w i t h t h e c o m m i t t e e l a c k s detail and indeed usefulness. This is both deeply problematic and deeply disrespectful.
“I have, on multiple o ccasions, made it clear exactly what evidence the committee wants to see. There is no doubt that we have received a large amount of information, but we are receiving very few clear answers.
“I a m i n a p o s i t i o n t o d ay where I am, yet again, writing letters to express my frustration at the delay, the prevarication and obfuscation. But this goes beyond frustration. This must end and we will complete our work and do the job given to us by the nation’s Parliament.”
In her letter to Mr Swinney, she says it is “unacceptable” t h a t d e s p i te a r e q u e s t f o r a “timeline or written submiss i o n g iv i n g information on the process undertaken by the Scottish Government in investigating the complaints", none had been received.
She also asks why new information, disclosed on November 6, that the private secre - tary to Nicola Sturgeon when she was Deputy First Minister, had met twice with one of the complainers against Mr Salmond, had not been given to the committee before.
In her letter to Mr Salmond, Ms Fabiani says she is "writing again to impress upon you the urgency of this matter” and asks him to provide the committee with a written state -
ment prior to him giving oral evidence next month.
“Your written submission remains outstanding, and has b e e n r e q u e s t e d n u m e r o u s times, most recently in my letter of 6 November," she writes.
“The committee requires sufficient detail on your account of the complaints handling phase, the judicial review and
the ministerial code phase in an initial submission."
S cottish Conser vative MSP Murdo Fraser, who sits on the committee, said: “The First M i n i s t e r p r o m i s e d P a r l i a - ment she would co - op erate fully with this vital inquiry.
“We find ourselves in a situation where even the SNP committee convener doesn’t
believe that to be the case and is once again heavily criticising the SNP Government for failing to keep their promises. The SNP must be fully transp a re n t wi t h t h e c o mmitte e otherwise it will only look like they have something murky to hide.”