The UK Covid Inquiry requested relevant WhatsApp messages from Scottish ministers nine months ago, according to recent revelations. First Minister Humza Yousaf had previously stated that his government was only asked to submit WhatsApp group messages related to the pandemic in September. Opposition parties have accused Yousaf and his deputy, Shona Robison, of misleading parliament. The Scottish government insists it is cooperating fully with the inquiry, which has requested the messaging data of 70 officials, medical chiefs, ministers and former ministers, but has claimed “very few” of the messages of interest appear to have been retained.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison provided a detailed timeline of events in a written statement to the Scottish Parliament, following a request from the UK Covid Inquiry. The Scottish government received a draft request in November 2022 related to WhatsApp and other “informal messaging systems”, before being sent a final request in February 2023. These included requests for WhatsApp messages related to the pandemic response and decision-making. Draft responses that insisted all “key decisions and decision-making were recorded” were sent throughout spring 2023 but no WhatsApp messages were included.
The inquiry then asked for information about the use of WhatsApp groups “concerned with the Covid-19 response”. After supplying that information, the inquiry asked for the messages to be handed over in September. The Scottish government required a formal request under Section 21 of the Inquiries Act 2005 to submit more than 14,000 messages by a deadline of 6 November. These were restricted to conversations involving at least one civil servant and groups of three people or more. Yousaf reportedly submitted a final submission to the UK inquiry this week.
Opposition MSPs are suggesting that the February 2023 inquiry request for “any communications relating to key decisions” was broader than previously suggested by ministers. It had been understood that the government had only been asked to provide specific messages relating to decision-making. The inquiry’s lead counsel, Jamie Dawson KC, has previously warned that “very few” of the requested messages had been retained
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