MSPs attack 'secretive' Government

Sep 20 2012

First Minister Alex Salmond has come under fire at Holyrood for his "secretive" style of government.

Both Labour and the Tories attacked him on the issue.

They raised it just hours after ministers took the Information Commissioner to court to challenge her ruling that they should disclose whether they received legal advice about an independent Scotland's future in the European Union.

Labour leader Johann Lamont demanded to know if the First Minister is "getting even more secretive". She also criticised the Scottish Government for using public money for the legal action against Information Commissioner Rosemary Agnew.

Ms Lamont asked Mr Salmond: "At a time when families across the country are paying the price for his budget cuts, why is he spending hundreds of thousands of pounds of Scottish people's money to stop the people of Scotland finding out what he is doing?"

Tory leader Ruth Davidson also attacked the First Minister on the same issue, demanding to know how much taxpayers' cash is being spent to "shore up his secret society".

Mr Salmond insisted that his Government's performance on freedom of information is better than that of the Labour/Liberal Democrat executive.

The number of cases where ministers revealed information has gone up since 2005, he said. "That is a rise from the secretive days of the Labour/Liberal administration in Scotland."

The case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh comes after Ms Agnew ruled that the Scottish Government should say if it received legal advice about whether an independent Scotland would automatically remain in the EU or would have to apply to join.

The First Minister has said disclosing if the Government holds such information will breach the ministerial code. Judge Lord Menzies fixed a two-day court hearing for December 18 and 19 to try to resolve the case.