Image source, PA Media
John Swinney visited Boston for Scotland's opening crippled successful the World Cup
ByAngus Cochrane
Senior governmental journalist, BBC Scotland
John Swinney has defended the usage of much than £45,000 of nationalist funds connected business-class flights for him and 2 elder aides to the World Cup.
The archetypal curate flew to Boston connected 11 June for Scotland's opening match, earlier taking portion successful commercialized talks successful Kentucky 3 days later.
While helium and 2 elder officials travelled concern class, Sports Minister Maree Todd and respective different officials went to the US connected importantly cheaper economy-class flights.
Swinney insisted the authorities had sought to "minimise" costs, portion Justice Secretary Neil Gray defended the concern people flights arsenic a means of ensuring ministers "arrive fresh" erstwhile they question overseas.
In total, the authorities spent £98,442 connected trips for Swinney, Todd and their officials to the US, including flights, hotels and expenses.
Flights for Swinney and his backstage caput John Webster outgo £17,893 each.
Business-class tickets for the archetypal minister's peculiar advisor Colin McAllister outgo £9,864.
The authorities spent a further £11,800 connected economy-class flights for respective officials accompanying Swinney, arsenic good arsenic much than £10,000 connected car prosecute for the archetypal minister's visit.
The outgo of level tickets for Todd and 4 accompanying officials to sojourn Miami for Scotland's last crippled was £5,485.
The Scottish government's travel rules, external authorities that business-class flights should lone beryllium utilized connected flights of much than 10 hours "unless different agreed".
Direct flights from Edinburgh to Boston typically past astir 7 hours.
Swinney told BBC Scotland News: "Obviously, erstwhile flights person got to beryllium booked, erstwhile there's aggravated unit connected the clip involved, past the costs are apt to beryllium higher."
He added: "We tried to minimise those costs."
Image source, PA Media
Maree Todd visited Miami for 3 days to ticker Scotland play their 3rd World Cup crippled
Earlier, Justice Secretary Neil Gray defended the usage of business-class flights.
He told BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast: "These are engaged trips for ministers and it is close that they are capable to get fresh, they're capable to get successful a mode that means that they're capable to enactment and bash their enactment immediately, truthful I deliberation that's a proportionate use."
Gray pointed to benefits of the trip, specified arsenic expanding Scotland's "soft-power scope and the quality to marque important planetary connections".
He added: "It was close that the archetypal curate and his squad were determination to enactment and to beryllium portion of that."
Releasing the question expenses, the authorities said the US trips were made to enactment the nationalist squad astatine the World Cup arsenic good arsenic to clasp talks connected trade, tourism, civilization and investment.
Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said: "Nobody begrudged SNP ministers joining the Tartan Army to cheer connected Scotland men's squad astatine their archetypal World Cup quality successful astir 3 decades, but successful emblematic SNP manner costs were ne'er kept nether control.
"Swinney and his ministerial workfellow were intelligibly blessed to flight each the challenges facing them backmost home, but they should person met these important costs retired of their ain pocket."
English (US)·