Resign? Not me, says the nation’s top civil servant
SCOTLAND’S top civil servant yesterday rejected calls to resign following the botched investigation into sex claims against Alex Salmond.
Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans is adamant she will not stand down, despite the Scottish Government admitting ‘institutional’ failings during the probe.
The Government also confirmed it was not taking action against a human resources official who headed the investigation into the complaints, despite her previously discussing the issue with the women involved.
Mr Salmond claimed Mrs Evans was responsible for the ‘institutional failure’.
He said: ‘When she has got some time for mature reflection, I hope the Permanent Secretary considers her position.’
Asked if Mrs Evans would resign, a Government spokesman said: ‘No. The Permanent Secretary stands by her decision to apply the procedure. The Scottish Government had a duty to investigate the complaints raised and was correct to do so.
‘Although an issue has arisen around the operational application of the procedure, it does not relate to the procedure itself, which the Scottish Government considers to be fair and robust. It was right and proper that these complaints were investigated and the Permanent Secretary stands by the decision to carry out that investigation.’
Asked if the official who headed the investigation will quit, or if any further action will be taken against individuals, the spokesman said: ‘No. As our counsel made clear in court this morning, the procedural flaw which occurred was the result of institutional failure and not an error by any particular individual. The investigating officer acted in good faith at all times.’
Following yesterday’s Court of Session ruling, Mrs Evans said: ‘This action is being taken because it has become clear that – in one respect only, albeit an important one – the investigation was procedurally flawed.
‘However, it is important to stress that this relates to the operational application of the Procedure for Handling Complaints Involving Current or Former Ministers. The Scottish Government considers the procedure itself to be robust and it remains in place.
‘After reassessing all the materials available, I have concluded that an impression of partiality could have been created based on one specific point – contact between the investigating officer and the two complainants around the time of their complaints being made in January 2018.
‘The full picture only became evident in December 2018 as a result of the work being undertaken to produce relevant documents in advance of the hearing.’
She said she wanted to ‘apologise to all involved’ for the failure but insisted that there was ‘nothing to suggest that the investigating officer did not conduct their duties in an impartial way’.
She added: ‘Unfortunately, the interactions with the complainants in advance of the complaints being made meant that the process was flawed, however impartially and fairly the investigating officer conducted the investigation. All the other grounds of Mr Salmond’s challenge have been dismissed.’
Mrs Evans also suggested a new probe could be launched. She said: ‘It is open to the Scottish Government to reinvestigate the complaints and, subject to the views of the complainants, it would be our intention to consider this. However, this will only be once ongoing police inquiries have concluded.
‘Meantime, I have commissioned an internal review of the specific application of this one element of the procedure. We shall learn and apply the lessons of this case to any future complaint.’