Civil servants have been given top roles on Scotland’s troubled Covid-19 Public Inquiry - despite claims the probe is “independent”.
Officials are providing support to the investigation, even though the actions of Ministers during the deadly pandemic are under the microscope. Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “With senior civil servants seconded to work in the inquiry, some will be worried about the Scottish Government having a direct influence on the outcome.
“We cannot allow the slightest whiff of political interference to surround this inquiry."
The Inquiry has been in disarray over the resignation of chair Lady Poole and four lawyers. Deputy First Minister John Swinney has put distance between the Government and the Inquiry by flagging up its “independent” nature. But the Record can reveal the presence of Government officials on the Inquiry team.
Scott Bell is Co-Secretary and Deputy Director of Operations, with responsibility for the “development, implementation and management” of parts of the Inquiry. Claire Soper is Co-Secretary and Head of Policy. Announced by the Government, the Inquiry is looking at the response to the spread of coronavirus and trying to establish the facts of what happened.
Scottish Ministers were accused of acting too slowly and not doing enough to prevent the spread of the disease - issues that will inevitably be poured over.
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: “The fact that key members of the inquiry team work for the Scottish Government certainly casts doubt on John Swinney’s claims that it is entirely independent. There is, at the very least, the danger of giving the appearance that the Scottish Government is marking its own homework.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "This is going to be one of the most important public inquiries in our parliament’s history, so we need to get the facts right. It’s absolutely vital that the inquiry remains independent of government and meets the criteria for independent standards.”
A spokesperson for the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry said: “A public inquiry is unable to act as an employer and therefore, in line with practice in all other Scottish and UK Inquiries, the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry includes staff who are civil servants.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “A public Inquiry operates independently of Ministers, so the procedure, conduct and operation of the Inquiry, including staffing appointments, are matters for the Chair. Due to their legal status, public inquiries are unable to act as employers, accordingly all inquiries in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK include staff that are civil servants.”
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