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HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Derek Penman says he has committed to a statutory inspection of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).

Mr Penman says the inspection has been brought forward at the request of the justice secretary, particularly in relation to openness and transparency.

He refers to the resignation of Moi Ali in December 2016 and says he has considered concerns around this.

Mr Penman says it would be unlikely he will not recommend that board meetings should be held in public.

He says he will publish the terms of reference today or tomorrow.

MSPs will begin by taking evidence on 'The 2015/16 audit of the Scottish Police Authority, external'.

The committee will take evidence from

• HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Derek Penman
• former Scottish Police Authority board member Brian Barbour 
• former Scottish Police Authority board member Moi Ali
• current Scottish Police Authority board member David Hume
• current Scottish Police Authority board member George Graham
• current Scottish Police Authority board member Iain Whyte

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed that a request had been made to HMICS to bring forward its transparency investigation.

Mr Matheson said: "Openness and transparency are of the utmost importance to a public body such as the SPA so I welcome the proposed changes to their approach to committee meetings."

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"However, given the level of interest in these matters I am seeking further assurance that all that can be done is being done.

"That is why I have written to HMICS asking them to bring forward part of their planned statutory inspection into the operation of the authority, scheduled for later this year, which relates to transparency. I look forward to receiving their findings in due course."

In her submission, Moi Ali includes an e-mail to Andrew Flanagan in which she says she tendered her resignation from the SPA board because he objected  "to public dissent, however reasonably and temperately expressed". 

Ms Ali says she "challenged constructively" and said "public discussion should be the default, unless there is good reason for it".

She goes on to says she was "deeply offended" Mr Flanagan could suggest she breached confidentiality.

Read more of the submission here., external

Other members were also very critical of SPA Chairman Andrew Flanagan, with Labour's Monica Lennon questioning whether he was a "control freak" who didn't seem to accept there were problems with the system and who treated other board members like "infants".

Labour's Jackie Baillie said there was a "culture of secrecy" within the SPA, while Tory member Ross Thomson said there seemed to be "convenient collective amnesia" and suggested the organisation was "not fit for purpose".

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He also questioned whether Mr Flanagan had considered his position, to which the chairman replied: "I believe that I am doing an effective job."

On his failure to share the letter, he said the issues had been "well trailed" and were "well known", saying he "didn't think it was necessary to circulate the letter itself". He also denied that he did not acknowledge problems within the SPA, saying concerns had been "discussed fully" and "understood and noted".

Addressing the issue of whether the SPA was fit for purpose, he said: "I think we've made a number of substantial movements within the last 12 months based on the governance review.

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Mr Flanagan says: "I think we are becoming more effective, I think it is important that we recognise that there is already a high and significant degree of openness through the public board meetings that we have which are second to none in terms of public bodies in Scotland.

"In terms of progress, [the 2026 policing strategy] represents the first time that we have had a clear direction of travel for policing in Scotland.

"I think we are on a journey. Is it perfect? No, it's not perfect, but I think in the last 12 months or so there have been significant steps forward.

"I think we need to make sure that the board meetings aren't perfunctory or rubber-stamping, I think we need to have open discussion at those board meetings."

The Scottish government has now asked Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) to speed up its investigation of transparency within the authority.

A new governance framework was agreed by the SPA board after a review by Mr Flanagan, commissioned by the justice secretary, which led to some committee meetings being held in private and board papers only being made available on the day of the meeting.

Mr Flanagan came under fire after he admitted he did not pass on a letter from the police watchdog questioning governance arrangements to other SPA board members.

Concerns were also raised over the handling of the resignation of one board member, Moi Ali,  who quit amid a row over meetings being held behind closed doors.

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SNP MSP Alex Neil told Mr Flanagan that "it's not the Kremlin you are running", saying the issue of the letter from HM Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Derek Penman raised questions over whether "decisions are being effectively made in private and nodded through in public".

He said "surely to goodness" the letter should have gone to every board member, saying not to pass it on "breaches every rule in the book".

He said: "We have this secret society inside the board...deciding on transparency of governance and the whole thing is done without public knowledge, without people out there being able to hold this board to account, because this is all done deliberately behind closed doors to undermine the very principles of transparency and accountability that the review the cabinet secretary set up was designed to address."

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MSPs have strongly criticised Scottish Police Authority (SPA) bosses over transparency and governance.

Holyrood's public audit committee quizzed SPA management over claims of a "secret society" on its board and meetings held behind closed doors.

One MSP told bosses that "it's not the Kremlin you're running", while another asked if the group was fit for purpose.

SPA chairman Andrew Flanagan insisted the body had made "substantial" progress over the last year.

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Scotland's police service is facing a £188m funding gap by 2020/21, the country's financial watchdog said last December.

In a highly-critical report, external, the auditor general said she had again found "substantial issues" during her examination of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) accounts.

The accounts cover the £1.1bn spent by the SPA and Police Scotland in the past year.

Auditor General Caroline Gardner said they were of "poor quality".

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Ms Gardner said she had made "significant corrections" because of inaccurate records and poor financial management, and called for "substantial improvement".

In response, the SPA said it had "demonstrated continued progress in the reform of policing and the delivery of further significant financial savings and efficiencies".

But it acknowledged that more work needed to be done to address the concerns over its accounting procedures.

Read more here.

The head of the Scottish Police Authority has defended paying an accountant £950 a day to help sort out its multi-million pound deficit.

John Foley told this committee that its interim chief financial officer, on secondment from private firm PwC, had the "appropriate skills".

He added that he had "trawled" the public sector but there "was no availability".

Scotland's police service is facing a £188m funding gap by 2020/21

Read more here.

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The Public Audit Committee will shortly take evidence on the Scottish Police Authority and then on Scotland's colleges.

The Public Audit Committee takes evidence on the beleaguered Scottish Police Authority, from former board member Moi Ali and HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland Derek Penman. 

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After general questions, we’ll bring you extensive coverage of first minister’s questions with all the social media reaction.

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The lunchtime member’s debate will focus on International ME Day.

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The Scottish government will then lead a debate entitled ‘Keeping Children Safe Online’