THE committee set up to investigate how complaints against former first minister Alex Salmond were handled will be composed of nine MSPs from all five Holyrood parties, it has been revealed.
The committee is being established after the Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled the way the allegations were dealt with was "unlawful".
The Scottish Government has already announced it will carry out a review of what happened, while independent advisers will consider if First Minister Nicola Sturgeon breached the ministerial code in any of her dealings with her predecessor.
Holyrood will conduct its own investigation, with a special committee tasked with considering the actions of Sturgeon, Scottish Government officials and special advisers in dealing with the complaints against Salmond – which he strongly denies.
A Scottish Parliament spokeswoman said: "The bureau agreed to recommend to the Parliament the remit and membership of a new committee of inquiry.
"A motion has been laid and will be considered by Parliament tomorrow."
Four former SNP ministers will be put forward. Angela Constance, who has served as social security secretary and education secretary, will be proposed along with Alasdair Allan, who has been both international development and learning minister, former Europe minister Linda Fabiani, and Maureen Watt, who has been both a schools minister and mental health minister.
The other proposed members are Tory MSPs Margaret Mitchell and Donald Cameron, Labour's Jackie Baillie, Green MSP Alison Johnstone and Scottish Liberal Democrat Alex Cole-Hamilton.
The committee's remit and membership were discussed at a meeting of the Scottish Parliament Bureau – which determines daily business at Holyrood – and are set to be formally endorsed on Wednesday.
Labour's Neil Findlay criticised the plan to have an SNP MSP as convener of the committee.
He said: "Labour argued, in the strongest possible terms, against the SNP taking the chair of this committee.
"It is disappointing that the SNP seem determined to press on regardless."
Scottish LibDem leader Willie Rennie said: "Bearing in mind the concern there is about the SNP chairing the committee, it is now up to them to put forward a convener who can command the respect of Parliament."
Last week, Deputy First Minister John Swinney announced both the government review and consideration of whether Sturgeon breached the ministerial code had been deferred "while criminal investigations are active" against the former SNP leader.
Salmond appeared in court two weeks ago charged with 14 offences, including two of attempted rape, but he insisted afterwards he refutes "absolutely these allegations of criminality".
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