SCOTTISH Cabinet records are to be made widely available online for the first time because of the coronavirus, allowing people to read them at home.
The National Records of Scotland announced the change as it unsealed cabinet files from 2005, the year of the G8 summit at Gleneagles, under the 15-year rule on unlocking state records north of the border.
The files include cabinet discussions on lapdancing, a new Borders railway, a possible motorway building ban, and a potential new road bridge over the Forth.
They also include the moment Jeane Freeman, now the SNP health secretary, was thanked by Labour and Liberal Democrat ministers for working as a Labour special advisor in the previous Coalition Executive.
The records can be viewed online from next month.
It will be the first time that Scottish Cabinet Records have been made available to view at home, rather than in person at the NRS building in Edinburgh.
NRS chief executive Paul Lowe said: “The Scottish Cabinet Records release gives us the chance to revisit and more fully understand recent events and they provide a valuable insight into the previously unseen workings of our democracy.
“I am particularly pleased that we will make use of technology to make these records more accessible than ever before and to a much wider public audience.
“These records cover a wide range of fascinating topics, including implementation of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act and discussions of Scotland’s readiness in the event of an outbreak of Avian flu.”
SNP Minister for Parliamentary Business Graeme Dey said: “We are pleased to work with National Records of Scotland in delivering on the Scottish Government’s commitment to openness and transparency.
“I would like to express my gratitude to NRS for the ingenuity they have shown in embracing alternative technological solutions to overcome the challenges faced this year.
“These records are always of great interest to journalists, historians and members of the public who want to find out more about Scotland’s history and governance.”
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