Health Secretary who used chauffeur for football was ‘doing job’ -ZoomTech News

Well being Secretary Neil Grey was “doing his job” when he used a ministerial automobile to attend three Aberdeen soccer matches at Hampden, a cupboard colleague has stated.

Grey – an Aberdeen fan – was criticised by opposition figures after The Sunday Put up revealed he was chauffeur-driven to 3 cup video games on the nationwide stadium, in addition to a league match at Pittodrie.

Gillian Martin, performing internet zero and power secretary, stated the occasions have been “in keeping with his authorities duties”.

A authorities spokesperson stated the publicly-funded automobile journeys have been “in accordance with journey and subsistence insurance policies to make sure we ship the very best worth for cash potential for the Scottish public”.

Grey was given VIP seats at Hampden – as a visitor of the Scottish Soccer Affiliation (SFA) – thrice, as soon as in his present function and two when he was wellbeing economic system, truthful work and power secretary.

The Airdrie and Shotts MSP watched Aberdeen v Hibernian in Scottish League Cup semi-final in November, and the ultimate in opposition to Rangers in December, in addition to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup in opposition to Celtic in April.

The minister, initially from Orkney, was additionally pushed to an Aberdeen house league match in opposition to Livingston in Could throughout a day of ministerial visits within the metropolis.

The primary two matches have been logged on the Scottish authorities’s ministerial engagements, journey and presents register as conferences with the SFA in regards to the “social impression” of funding in sport.

The latter two have been registered below the topic “sport”.

Grey took over as health secretary from Michael Matheson in February 2023.

Matheson give up after an £11k information roaming invoice was racked up on his parliamentary iPad, which he stated had been utilized by his sons to observe soccer matches throughout a household vacation.

A authorities spokesperson stated that sport is a part of Grey’s remit as well being secretary, and stated he usually attended sporting occasions “to assist staff and gamers”.

Martin instructed BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “It’s my understanding that Neil Grey was doing his job as cupboard secretary for well being and sport and it appears to be he’s carried out visits in keeping with his authorities duties in keeping with his tasks for sport.

“So you’ll use a ministerial automobile to get to someplace the place you have been doing a ministerial occasion and that’s fairly commonplace.”

She added: “The very fact of the matter is you wouldn’t get a ministerial automobile until there was a ministerial go to connected to that.

“And that’s only a truth. You wouldn’t be capable of prepare a ministerial automobile until it was ministerial enterprise.”

Ministers are entitled to publicly funded automobile transport as a part of their job. The policy states it “can’t be supplied from public funds for journeys the place the principal goal shouldn’t be linked to the efficiency of ministerial duties”.

A number of minsters have used the chauffeur service for sporting occasions in latest months.

Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon was pushed to Murrayfield to observe Scotland play rugby, registering it as an occasion to advertise aquaculture.

Siobhian Brown, the group security minister, went to Scotland’s pleasant in opposition to Finland at Hampden, describing it as being associated to “safer communities”.

Employment and Funding Minister Tom Arthur additionally used the automobile service for a visit to Hampden to observe the Scottish Cup last between Celtic and Rangers. He registered it as a ministerial go to for “sport/funding”.

Scottish Conservative deputy chief Rachael Hamilton known as for the well being secretary to make a press release to Holyrood as she accused him of constructing “shoddy excuses”.

She stated: “Neil Grey should clarify the complete details of what he’s carried out to the Scottish Parliament and let the general public choose for themselves,” she stated.

Scottish Labour deputy chief Jackie Baillie stated: “These taxpayer-funded journeys are sure to boost some eyebrows and Neil Grey should clarify clearly how all of those journeys will be thought of Scottish authorities enterprise.”

Responding to the Conservatives, an SNP spokesperson stated: “This fake outrage from the Tories would have extra credibility have been it not for the truth that they themselves have repeatedly attended sporting occasions of their MSP capability.

“Little doubt they did so as a result of they agree with us that it is rather vital for elected representatives to assist Scotland’s thriving sporting occasions.”