Scottish Ministers Accused of Misleading Parliament in Covid Inquiry Messaging Issue
Scottish Ministers Humza Yousaf and the Deputy First Minister are facing accusations of misleading Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) in relation to the handling of messages during a Covid inquiry. During a recent session of the First Minister’s Questions (FMQs), the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, claimed that Yousaf had initially stated that the UK Covid Inquiry had requested messages to be handed over in September. However, a timeline subsequently released by the Scottish Government showed that the request was made in February.
In response, the First Minister acknowledged that the request for electronic messages had been interpreted too narrowly by officials. The Scottish Tories argue that as MSPs had been previously informed that the initial request was made in September, Yousaf and the Deputy First Minister misled Parliament.
Douglas Ross has proposed a motion to be debated in Holyrood, calling for Yousaf and the Deputy First Minister to refer themselves to an independent adviser to determine if they have breached the ministerial code. The code requires ministers to provide accurate and truthful information to Parliament.
Yousaf has stated that he will listen to Parliament once it makes a decision on the matter. He maintains that neither he nor the Deputy First Minister misled Parliament, emphasizing that they have provided full context regarding the requests made and have fully complied by handing over all relevant material in their possession.
The Scottish Government has already submitted 14,000 messages to the inquiry, including unredacted correspondence from the First Minister. Yousaf highlighted this as a contrast to the UK Government, which lost a court case after denying the inquiry access to messages.
Regarding the motion to refer themselves, Yousaf suggested that if ministers were to comply with every demand made by the opposition, the advisers would constantly be busy with referrals. He accused the Conservatives of raising the issue to divert attention from the challenges within their own party at Westminster.
In conclusion, the Scottish Ministers are facing accusations of misleading Parliament in relation to the Covid inquiry messaging issue. The Scottish Tories are seeking an independent investigation into the matter, questioning whether the ministers breached the ministerial code. Yousaf and the Deputy First Minister maintain that they provided full context and have handed over all relevant material. The debate will continue in Holyrood, and Yousaf expressed confidence in robustly defending their position.
