Alex Salmond Inquiry: Alex Salmond confirms his attendance at harassment complaints committee

Alex Salmond has confirmed to Holyrood’s harassment complaints committee that he will attend an evidence session on Wednesday, it is understood.

Alex Salmond has agreed to appear in front of the harassment complaints committee on Wednesday, February 24.

The former first minister is understood to have accepted an invitation to appear before the committee following the decision by the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body to publish evidence he has submitted.

The non-publication of his evidence on the potential ministerial code breach by Nicola Sturgeon was the main factor blocking his appearance.

However, given his revised submission is to be published – albeit with some redactions – in the early stage of next week, Mr Salmond has now agreed to appear.

The submission accuses Ms Sturgeon of breaching the ministerial code, something the First Minister has repeatedly denied.

It was initially blocked from publication due to legal concerns.

Reacting, Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Scottish Liberal Democrat member of the committee, said the session will be “vital”.

He said: “This will be a vital session for the work of our committee.

"We’re not going to revisit the accusations or charges against Mr Salmond, but we will by necessity ask some challenging and sensitive questions around how those allegations were dealt with.

"If we are to find answers as to how women at the heart of this were so badly failed by the government investigation then we must hear from the subject of that probe.”

Scottish Labour’s committee member, Jackie Baillie, added: “This is very welcome news and I look forward to having the opportunity to question Mr Salmond next week.

“It is the duty of the committee to uncover exactly what went wrong in the Scottish Government’s botched and costly handling of the harassment complaints made against Mr Salmond, and it is vital that we have the chance to question him on this matter.”

The decision to publish the submission was criticised in a letter to presiding officer Ken Macintosh by the chief executive of Rape Crisis Scotland, Sandy Brindley.

Stressing the importance of parliament to “fulfil its obligations in respect to not identifying...complainers”, she said that Mr Macintosh would be held “directly responsible” if information jeopardising that protection was published.

She said: “The treatment of the complainers from the trial has been intolerable, particularly online.

"We are extremely concerned that this decision is being taken without the legal basis to do so.”

Responding to the letter today, Mr Macintosh said he ‘recognised’ the concerns and said it was “of vital importance” parliament abides by the court order from Lady Dorrian.

He said: “The parliament will of course comply with the terms of these orders when conducting its scrutiny role.

"I am further assured that the SGHHC Committee will continue to focus on safeguards to ensure that it operates within the terms of its evidence handling statement as it carries out the important function given to it by Parliament.”

The committee is examining the botched handling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond by the Scottish Government, which led to a £500,000 legal bill after the government conceded a judicial review challenge on the grounds of the process being “tainted by apparent bias”.

Mr Salmond was also acquitted of sexual offence charges in a trial last year.

Ms Sturgeon is set to give her evidence to the committee in the first week of March after her appearance was postponed to allow committee members to examine the impact of the High Court ruling involving The Spectator.

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