Scottish Government should have taken minutes of SPA meeting
Government advice makes clear ministers and civil servants should have made an official record of a crucial meeting he held with the Scottish Police Authority about the future of chief constable Phil Gormley.
Analysis of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants shows that records should be kept of official meetings that deal with substantive government business.
In section 4.23 of the ministerial code it states: “Where discussions take place with external organisations which raise substantive issues relating to Government decisions or contracts, and where an official is not present, Ministers should inform their Private Offices, who should arrange for the basic facts of such meetings to be recorded in accordance with paragraph 4.22 above.”
The guidance for civil servants on when minutes of meetings, or any other records, should be kept of meetings involving Ministers states: “A record should be kept of official meetings that deal with substantive government business.”
It goes on: “Where a Minister is involved in a meeting, conversation or exchange with external organisations which raises substantive issues relating to Government decisions or contracts, and where no Private Secretary, adviser or official is present, they should inform their Private Office, who will arrange for the basic facts to be recorded.” (See Ministerial Code paragraph 4.23).
Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr said:
“It’s quite clear from the Scottish Government’s own advice that meetings which deal with substantive government business should be minuted.
“If a meeting to discuss the future of Scotland’s chief constable isn’t a substantial piece of government business, I don’t know what is.
“The way the SNP has handled this entire episode has been a disgrace.
“First Michael Matheson promised to set out exactly what intervention he made over the chief constable’s future – then his official declared no minutes were taken.
“There has been a complete lack of transparency at every turn, and the SNP’s secret Scotland has been exposed.”