Scotland’s former top civil servant has been accused of snubbing an appearance before a Holyrood committee.
Kenneth Gibson, the SNP convener of the Finance Committee, said his colleagues were “extremely disappointed” at Leslie Evans’ refusal to appear.
Evans, who was Permanent Secretary of Nicola Sturgeon ’s Government, will retire soon after a stormy period in charge.
She was criticised in a Holyrood report last year for the Government’s failings in its unlawful probe into Alex Salmond.
The Finance and Public Administration committee had asked her to appear in front of MSPs to share her “reflections and insights” of her time in post.
However, it has now emerged the committee and Evans are at loggerheads.
In a letter to Evans, Gibson wrote: “Reassurances have repeatedly been given that the evidence session was not intended to revisit events previously considered by the Committee on the Scottish Government’s Handling of Harassment Complaints.
“Indeed, as we indicated in our invitation, this session was due to focus on broad issues within the Committee’s newly added public administration remit, such as how government functions, the capacity and capability of the civil service, culture, and how policies are developed and implemented.
“We are therefore extremely disappointed at the discourtesy shown to the Parliament by your failure to engage directly with the Committee at any stage regarding our invitation, despite our best efforts.
“When we finally received a response, it was not from you, but from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, stating that, as you are now on a period of leave (dating from 31 December 2021 until you retire from the UK Civil Service on 31 March 2022), you are not able to speak on behalf, or represent the views, of Scottish Ministers.
Gibson added: “At no point have we asked you to do so. We have been absolutely clear at all times that our interest lay in your own reflections, not those of Ministers, to support the Committee in developing a clearer understanding of the workings of government in our new public administration role.”
He added: “We are firmly of the view that it is in the public interest for the Committee to hear from civil servants as part of our public administration remit. You remain in the employment of the Scottish Government and we do not accept that your period of leave exempts you from giving evidence to a parliamentary committee, in the way suggested in the response we received.”
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