RECORDS of meetings between Nicola Sturgeon, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans and the Scottish Government's legal counsel about the investigation into Alex Salmond cannot be found, John Swinney has confirmed.

The Deputy First Minister told the Holyrood inquiry into the Government's unlawful investigation of Mr Salmond that he is unable to provide details that the committee had asked for.

Mr Swinney, who is facing a vote of no confidence after refusing parliament's demands to release legal advice for almost four months, had said the Government does not hold "formal minutes" of meetings with its external counsel about the former first minister's ultimately successful legal challenge.

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The current First Minister and Ms Evans, Scotland's most senior civil servant, held meetings with external legal advisers about the judicial review on November 2 and 13, 2018, according to evidence provided to the committee.

MSPs asked the Government to release the official records of the meetings, but Mr Swinney said it has not "identified any record of minutes having been prepared or previously held".

In a letter to the committe, he said: "I asked officials to check what documents are available, prioritising the meetings on 2 and 13 November 2018, which the committee has highlighted.

"Officials have identified a small number of contemporaneous email exchanges referencing these meetings.

"This includes exchanges following the meeting on 2 November and emails ahead of the meeting on 13 November 2018, attended by the First Minister and Permanent Secretary.

"These exchanges make clear that the focus of the meetings was on discussing and agreeing with external counsel adjustments to the pleadings for the judicial review. 

"I have asked officials to urgently make necessary checks for compliance with court orders and data notifications, and then to publish these email exchanges as soon as possible this week."

The committee is meeting today to discuss the legal advice, and whether it has sufficient information.

A motion of no confidence in Mr Swinney, lodged by the Conservatives, is expected to be debated in the Scottish Parliament this week.

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A Holyrood inquiry is looking into how the Scottish Government botched its probe into sexual misconduct allegations made against Mr Salmond in 2018.

Mr Salmond had the exercise set aside in a judicial review after the Government conceded it was unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”, an error that left taxpayers with a £512,000 bill for his legal costs.

He was later cleared of multiple charges of sexual assault at the High Court in Edinburgh.

MSPs on the Holyrood inquiry had also asked Mr Swinney about any external legal advice received after the Lord Advocate wrote on December 31, 2018, about conceding the case.

Mr Swinney said that although there had been "extensive engagement between counsel and Scottish Government lawyers" in early January 2019, there were no formal written notes.