Fresh investigation launched into Scottish Health Secretary’s £11k iPad charges
A fresh investigation has been launched into Michael Matheson, Scotland’s Health Secretary, after he admitted that an £11,000 iPad roaming charges bill he initially put on his expenses had been caused by his sons watching football.
Mr Matheson revealed in a statement at Holyrood last week that his two teenage sons had used his Parliament-issued device to watch football matches while on a family holiday in Morocco last Christmas.
He also revealed he had continued to insist that the device was only used for parliamentary work despite being told the truth by his wife, leading to claims he had lied to the public.
However, he has so far refused to resign and has been backed by First Minister Humza Yousaf, despite the threat of a vote of no confidence being tabled by the Conservatives.
The Scottish Parliament examined the issue privately earlier this year, at which point it was decided that Mr Matheson could put £3,000 on his expenses with the rest of the cost being met by Holyrood.
However, after news of the incident broke earlier this month, Mr Matheson said he would pay the entire bill himself. On Thursday morning, Scottish Parliament authorities said they would be launching a fresh investigation.
In a statement, a spokesman said the Scottish Parliament’s Corporate Body (SPCB) would look at whether Mr Matheson had broken the MSPs’ code of conduct by making an “improper” claim.
If it finds that he did, it could make Mr Matheson’s position untenable. A referral to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee for a separate ruling could also be made.
“The corporate body has a vital interest in the integrity of the Members’ Expenses Scheme, the principle that SPCB funded resources are used for parliamentary purposes and that there is public confidence in these matters,” the spokesman said.
“The corporate body will therefore undertake an investigation in line with its duties under the MSP Code of Conduct.
“The investigation will consider whether the claims for £11,000 of public money, incurred through data roaming charges, were proper and met the requirements of the scheme and whether resources were used for parliamentary purposes in accordance with all SPCB policies.
“The SPCB will seek to conclude its investigation promptly and its findings in fact will be published.”
