ALEX SALMOND came under renewed pressure yesterday to account for £54,000 of taxpayers’ money he spent on a trip with his wife to the Ryder Cup in Chicago.
The First Minister and Sports Minister Shona Robison led a 35-strong delegation of civil servants and Scottish tourism officials that spent almost £470,000, including £80,000 on food and drink, on the visit in September last year.
The Scottish Government has issued details of most of the expenditure, but has refused to say where Mr Salmond’s £54,000 went.
Their breakdown shows that more than £80,000 was spent on accommodation, but that covered a hotel used by officials, and not the five-star Peninsula Hotel where it is understood the First Minister and Mrs Salmond stayed.
The refusal to reveal the details was condemned yesterday as “frankly repulsive” by Scottish Labour’s business manager, Paul Martin, who said: “When families are struggling to pay heating bills, put food on the table and try to have as good a Christmas as they can, the idea that the First Minister can spend tens of thousands of pounds on himself and refuse to account for it is frankly repulsive.
“He spent our cash. The people of Scotland have a right to know what he spent it on.”
The figures released by the Scottish Government show that Mr Salmond’s delegation spent £5,695 on a dinner with guests at a top steak restaurant, nearly £60,000 on food and drink at two receptions and nearly £9,000 for another dinner at a racecourse.
They also spent nearly £1,000 on a pianist for a dinner, £1,755 on ties and £1,100 flying over two chefs from Gleneagles Hotel.
The breakdown came after two Freedom of Information (FoI) requests were lodged with VisitScotland and the Scottish Government.
While VisitScotland provided the figures, Scottish Ministers have refused to follow suit.
The Scottish Government and VisitScotland said the delegation and week-long stay in Chicago was part of a plan to “maximise the economic benefits” of hosting the tournament at Gleneagles next summer.
A VisitScotland spokesman said it had a duty to “make the most” of being hosts next year.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “All costs were part of a successful effort to promote Scotland and develop relationships ahead of next year’s tournament, which will benefit the Scottish economy by £100million.
“Our response to the FoI request has not yet been issued. FoI requests frequently require collation of detailed information and may require time and significant public expense to complete.”
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