Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she was not a member of any WhatsApp Covid group during the pandemic
The former first minister tells the media she "did not manage the Covid response" through the WhatsApp platform
Sturgeon stresses that she feels all of her actions were in line with government policies
Earlier, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison gave a statement on the Scottish government's record-keeping policy and possible deletion of WhatsApp messages during the Covid-19 pandemic
Robison said the Scottish government would hand over more than 14,000 messages to the UK Covid Inquiry
That is on top of 19,000 documents already provided, the deputy FM says
It comes as the Scottish government has been accused of failing to share its data
The deputy FM said she hopes the Scottish government's co-operation with the Scottish and UK inquiries will provide answers for bereaved families
The Scottish government does not use WhatsApp for decision making, Robison tells MSPs
Senior government figures, including former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, have been accused of wiping messages or using an auto-delete function during the pandemic
Humza Yousaf has denied deleting WhatsApp messages relating to the Covid-19 pandemic
The first minister will hand over his unredacted WhatsApp messages to the UK inquiry in "the coming days", his deputy says
Shona Robison says the Scottish government has kept a detailed record and evidence of decisions taken during the pandemic
MSPs are told that ministers must capture and save relevant messages before using auto delete
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison is in her seat and will shortly begin her statement on the Scottish Government’s provision of information to the Covid-19 inquiries.
Just a reminder - the Scottish government has been accused of failing to hand over data to the UK inquiry.
If you want to watch the statement here with us just tap the play icon at the top of the page.
For clarity, there are two Covid public inquiries.
The aim of Scotland's Covid public inquiry, external is to establish the facts of what happened during the country's response to the pandemic and work out what lessons can be learned for future public health emergencies.
The inquiry has been commissioned by the Scottish government but operates independently under chairman Lord Brailsford, who can demand evidence and compel witnesses to attend.
How is it different to the UK Covid inquiry?
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry began last August and has already heard from a number of people involved in Scotland's response to the pandemic - including the former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
But its scope is much broader as it covers the impact of the pandemic and decisions taken by the UK government for the whole of the UK.
It is chaired by Lady Hallett and has been hearing from Dominic Cummings this afternoon.
Image source, PA MediaScottish Labour health spokesperson Jackie Baillie has accused Humza Yousaf of misleading parliament over the electronic messages and said he should give the statement to MSPs since he served as health secretary during the crisis.
"I find this quite insulting and disrespectful to the bereaved families who lost loved ones during the pandemic because they were promised answers, they were promised full co-operation and that simply hasn't happened," she told BBC Scotland News.
Ms Baillie said she was "astonished" the Scottish government had only recently requested an order to provide data to the UK inquiry.
"The Scottish government already have a document retention policy that should have been in operation," she said.
"They shouldn't have been deleting those messages, whether it's on auto-delete or manual, because of that policy."
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said there were "serious questions" about when and why any messages may have been deleted by senior government figures.
He urged Nicola Sturgeon to make a personal statement to parliament about her personal communications and said the situation was affecting bereaved families.
"It's completely unacceptable that they were promised full openness and transparency from Nicola Sturgeon, from SNP ministers, from the current first minister and that is not happening and that is why we are already seeing families that feel they are losing faith with the inquiries even at this early stage," he told BBC Scotland News.
Ross, who was a UK government minister until May 2020, said he retained all of his WhatsApp messages from during the pandemic.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer First Minister Nicola Sturgeon began daily Covid briefings in March 2020
The news that Scottish ministers and officials have deleted Whatsapp messages from the pandemic period could affect the work of both the UK and Scottish Covid inquiries.
Much of what the inquiries are trying to find out rests upon what was being discussed at the highest levels of government during the height of the pandemic.
The timing of the deletions and how they fit into the overall timeline of the Covid years is already coming under enormous scrutiny.
One key date is 29 July 2022 when the UK Covid inquiry issued protocol that referred to the Inquiries Act 2005 - which says it's an offence to destroy a document that may be of interest to an inquiry.
Then on 5 August 2022, the Scottish Covid Inquiry issues more than 150 do not destroy letters to organisations.
At the end of last week, the UK inquiry said it had received no WhatsApp data directly from the Scottish government.
In recent weeks, the Scottish government told the inquiry it would need a formal legal order to release the material.
The BBC understands this order, known as a section 21, has now been issued and that the Scottish government intends to move quickly to hand over whatever additional material it holds.
Image source, Getty ImagesFirst Minister Humza Yousaf says his government will fully comply with the Covid inquiries
As we've been reporting, the Scottish government has been accused of failing to hand over data to the UK Covid Inquiry.
Senior government figures, including former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, have been accused of wiping messages or using an auto-delete function during the pandemic.
On Monday Humza Yousaf denied deleting WhatsApp messages, saying it was "certainly not true".
He said his government would "fully" comply with both the UK and Scottish Covid inquiries.
Glenn Campbell
BBC Scotland Political Editor
The informal communications of Scottish government ministers and officials during the pandemic matter. They really do.
The UK and Scottish Covid inquiries want access to them to help understand the context in which key decisions were made.
The release of similar material by UK government decision-makers has already proved highly revealing.
And the UK inquiry has indicated that there were some 137 messaging groups, involving 70 potential witnesses, operating in the Scottish government and its agencies during the pandemic.
It already seems to have concluded that full disclosure will not be possible because much of the material has not been retained.
The key question is why? Why would these messages have been deleted when it was well known from the early stages of the pandemic there would be a public inquiry at the end?
To opposition parties this smacks of secrecy and cover up - an effort to hide potentially damaging discussion.
The Conservatives and Labour will have the chance to question the deputy first minister, Shona Robison, after her statement this afternoon.
Image source, Getty ImagesNicola Sturgeon is among the senior figures reported to have deleted WhatsApp messages during the pandemic
The ministerial statement has come about because the Scottish government has been accused of withholding WhatsApp messages from the UK Covid Inquiry.
It emerged there were at least 137 WhatsApp groups being used across the Scottish government and its agencies during Covid.
Last week The Times, external said national clinical director Jason Leitch deleted his messages every day during the pandemic.
The Sunday Mail, external then reported former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is among 70 Scottish government figures whose pandemic communications were not retained.
Ms Sturgeon's spokesperson said she was co-operating with both inquiries.
It was also reported that, according to UK Covid inquiry documents, WhatsApp data from First Minister Humza Yousaf and former Deputy First Minister John Swinney no longer exists.
Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the ministerial statement on the Scottish government’s provision of information to the Covid-19 inquiries.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison will begin her statement at 16:30 and we'll bring you reports and analysis throughout.
If you want to watch the statement, just hit the play icon at the top of this page.