Nicola Sturgeon and her husband will be called to give evidence before a Holyrood committee investigating the Scottish Government’s handling of complaints made against Alex Salmond, it has been confirmed.

Ms Sturgeon, the current First Minister, is on the initial witness list produced by MSPs, along with the chief executive of the SNP, her husband Peter Murrell.

The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints will also take evidence from Mr Salmond and his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein, as well as Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff Liz Lloyd.

Permanent secretary Leslie Evans will be the first witness to be questioned by the committee, while her predecessors in the job Sir John Elvidge and Sir Muir Russell are also included, along with “a number of senior civil servants” and the Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC.

Another witness will be Deputy First Minister John Swinney, while staff trade unions could also be called to give evidence to the Holyrood committee.