One of the more succinct reports to have emerged from the Parliament concerns a leak to ourselves, no less. We approve of that since brevity is our watchword.
The standards committee had been asked to look into our disclosure - known as a “leak” in the trade - of the education committee’s report on special educational needs.
We reported its findings in our February 2 issue, four days before the official publication.
Having hunted high and low for a mole, the committee’s adviser concluded there had been a leak of the draft or finalised report but added: “As a result of my investigation, I have not been able to establish whether any MSP was responsible for the unauthorised disclosure nor the means by which that disclosure was effected.”
The committee agreed the report but recorded its “frustration”.
We would not, of course, wish to frustrate the will of Parliament - something that ranks almost as high in our mission statement as our determination not to deter informants. It is odd, however, that The TES Scotland was not approached to give any evidence. We are in the phone book.
Indeed we were not even informed that the committee had issued its report. How did we find out? You’ve guessed it - from an MSP, of course.