Scottish government ministerial complaints procedure to be revised again

John Swinney

The current procedure was introduced in February 2022 in response to a review arising from the scandal over the mishandling of sexual harassment allegations against former first minister Alex Salmond.

The planned changes to the ministerial complaints procedure will come into effect by the end of the year. 

In future, where the outcome of a formal complaint is upheld or partially upheld, ministers will be named and the outcome of the complaint published, together with an appropriately redacted version of the decision report.

The privacy and confidentiality of complainants and witnesses remain fundamental to the process. Any information that could lead to their identity being disclosed will be redacted.

The procedure applies to all Scottish government staff and civil servants working in the Scottish government’s executive agencies. Information on the number of formal complaints will be proactively published every six months.

The Scottish Ministerial Code is being updated to take account of the updated procedure and will be published in due course.

John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, said: “The First Minister advised the Scottish Parliament in June that the ministerial code and complaints procedure would be updated with regards to future complaints. 

“The Scottish government is determined to build a culture in which concerns are addressed early and in which all those who are involved with a complaint have confidence and can engage constructively and fairly in the process.”