Electronic messages, including WhatsApp messages, sent by Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic have reportedly been deleted, making them unavailable for official inquiries.
According to The Times, Leitch deleted his WhatsApp communications daily, resulting in none of them being preserved when a "do not destroy" notice was issued.
Leitch, a key figure in Scotland's response to the pandemic, has been contacted for comment. The Scottish government stated that government decisions should be recorded in the official record and that it would provide WhatsApp messages related to logistics and day-to-day communication to the UK Covid-19 inquiry if a legal basis was provided.