Gray 'sorry' after chauffeur trips to football

Health Secretary Neil Gray has said helium is atrocious helium did not spell to a "wider range" of shot matches aft utilizing ministerial cars to be 4 Aberdeen games.

The Dons instrumentality was driven by a chauffeur to ticker 3 games astatine Hampden, arsenic good arsenic a location match. He registered the events arsenic authoritative authorities visits.

In a connection to parliament, Gray said helium should person attended a greater assortment of games to debar giving the content helium was acting "more arsenic a instrumentality and little arsenic a minister".

The Scottish Conservatives accused him of having a "jolly to ticker the football" astatine taxpayers' expense.

Gray besides said helium had utilized the chauffeur work for 5 Scotland games.

The wellness caput told MSPs that helium had been joined by a household subordinate oregon impermanent astatine six of the matches. He said that they travelled with him but astatine nary further outgo to the taxpayer.

Gray said each the engagements were “official ministerial business”, and that helium had not planned to be lone Aberdeen nine matches.

He said: "I should person made definite that I attended a wider scope of games and not conscionable Aberdeen, and I apologise for my error."

The SNP MSP added: “I americium a shot fan. I travel Aberdeen. But I should not person allowed the content to beryllium fixed that this played immoderate relation successful my engagements and I americium atrocious for my error.”

Gray was fixed VIP tickets to Aberdeen matches astatine Hampden 3 times, erstwhile successful his existent relation and doubly erstwhile helium was wellbeing economy, just enactment and vigor secretary.

The Airdrie and Shotts MSP watched Aberdeen v Hibernian successful Scottish League Cup semi-final successful November, and the last against Rangers successful December, arsenic good arsenic the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Celtic successful April.

The curate was besides driven to an Aberdeen location league lucifer against Livingston successful May during a time of ministerial visits successful the city.

He said helium was a impermanent of the SPFL astatine the archetypal 2 matches, and of the SFA astatine the Celtic match.

In March 2022, portion serving arsenic curate for culture, Europe and planetary development, Gray utilized the chauffeur work to spell to Scotland matches against Ukraine and Poland.

After becoming system secretary, helium was driven to 2 European Championship qualifiers against Georgia and Norway successful June and November 2023.

Last month, helium attended Scotland's crippled against Portugal astatine Hampden.

Scottish Conservatives called for a parliamentary probe nether the ministerial code.

Deputy person Rachael Hamilton accused Gray said: “Taking household members and guests to these games, successful limos paid for by the taxpayer, confirms beyond each uncertainty that these meetings were not authorities business, but a jolly to ticker the football.

“Taxpayers person been duped and Neil Gray indispensable present refund them successful full.”

Gray said the ministerial codification makes wide that household members oregon guests tin travel a minister.