Watchdogs in ‘very rare’ step during Salmond inquiries
Ministers have forced watchdogs to take a “very rare” step around information connected to the Alex Salmond Inquiry, which is embroiled in a transparency probe, it can be revealed.
The Scottish Information Commissioner was asked to serve four separate formal informationnoticestothescottish Government to gain access to information withheld by ministers.
Thisisararestepforthetransparencywatchdogtotake,with most information sharing connected to appeals being probed by the commissioner done on an informal basis. Critics said this showed the Scottish Government was treating transparency with “contempt” and accused it of having a culture that was “rotten to the core”.
It is understood this information, which the commissioner must view to be able to judge whether it was lawfully withheld from the public, covers James Hamilton’s report into whether Nicola Sturgeon breached the ministerial code.
Italsocoverstheinternaldecision report, which has never been published, of the Government’s botched investigation into harassment complaints against former first minister Mr Salmond.
Two other probes being looked at by the commissioner are also covered by these informationnotices.itisunderstood this covers the same sensitive information.
Scottish Conservative MSP Murdofraser,whowasamember of the Holyrood committee that investigated the botched harassment complaints investigation, said the request from ministers was “extraordinary”. He said: “At every turn during the inquiry, SNP ministers failed to be transparent and it appears that approach hasn’t changed one bit.
“It is extraordinary that the commissioner has been put in thispositionsimplytogetinformation from the SNP Government.
“They clearly think that they can just ignore these requests andbrushissuesunderthecarpet.
“It is time for them to urgently co-operateandstoptreatingthe idea of transparency with such contempt.”
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader who was also a member of the committee, said this was another example of the Government’s “web of secrecy and cover-up”.
She said: “Time after time, the Government did all it could to keepvitalinformationfromthe committee.
"Transparency and openness are vital to democracy, but this Government has turned its back on that. Frankly, the cultureofthescottishgovernment is rotten to the core.”
Alex Cole-hamilton, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and member of the harassment complaints committee, said Nicola Sturgeon must make it cleartoherofficialsto“co-operateinfull”withtheinformation commissioner.
"This is a highly unusual step for the information commissioner to take and reflects the seriousnessofboththematters under discussion.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We will continue to engage constructively with the Scottish Information Commissioner around these cases, which contain particularly sensitiveinformation,toensure that we comply fully with our obligations under FOISA.”