MSPs given strict Christmas travel orders after Matheson scandal
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MSPs have been warned they must consult Holyrood’s IT experts before travelling abroad this Christmas to prevent a repeat of Michael Matheson’s £11,000 roaming charges bill.
The Scottish Parliament’s IT helpdesk sent an email to all MSPs on Wednesday morning setting out the correct protocol, which the SNP Health Secretary did not follow before his trip to Morocco last year.
In a message titled “Planning to travel abroad this Christmas?”, MSPs were warned that they “must” contact the helpdesk if they intend on going to a foreign country and using their parliamentary phone “while not connected to Wi-Fi.”
The email ordered them to give Holyrood’s IT experts notice of “at least two working days before you travel” so that “an appropriate roaming bundle can be applied”.
The message, which included a picture of a skier trekking up a snowy mountain, said MSPs must also provide their mobile number, destination and date of leaving and return.
“Failure to do so will result in expensive out of tariff charges or loss of connection. If you are on a cruise or do not have a bundle applied, please switch off your phone or put it on airplane mode and connect to Wi-Fi,” it concluded.
Mr Matheson racked up a £10,935.74 roaming charges bill last Christmas after failing to follow instructions to change the sim card in his parliamentary iPad, or consult the helpdesk before leaving on his family holiday.
The day after arriving in Morocco – when he racked up £2.249.17 of charges – he contacted the Parliament’s IT department to state his parliamentary phone was not working but his iPad was.
He said he was advised that he should link his phone to the “hotspot” iPad. However, the Scottish Parliament said its records “don’t show any discussion” of the device.
Despite this, Holyrood allowed Mr Matheson to use his taxpayer-funded expenses to fund £3,000 of the bill and provided the £7,935.74 balance from its own budget.
The Health Secretary paid back the money from his own pocket on Nov 10, two days after The Telegraph disclosed the bill. His annual salary is £118,511.
In a statement to MSPs, he claimed he had only found out on Nov 9 that his sons had used the iPad as an internet hotspot to watch football matches.
But it later emerged he had falsely told the media on Nov 13 that nobody else had used the device and there was no personal use.
The Falkirk West MSP has not explained how he thought he had run up the bill on constituency business, the basis upon which he originally claimed the cost from the taxpayer.
The roaming charges on Jan 2, the day of the Old Firm match between Rangers and Celtic, were £7,345.69 but this was a public holiday.
Avoiding ‘another Matheson-esque bill’
Responding to the Parliament’s email, a Scottish Tory source said: “This is a not-so-subtle reminder from the parliamentary authorities.
“We can only hope their IT department had the sense to ask for a ‘read’ receipt when they sent it to the scandal-ridden SNP Health Secretary – who blithely ignored their previous memos about overseas data use.
“With an Old Firm game looming on Dec 30, they’ve made it clear that they don’t want another Matheson-esque bill.”
The Scottish Parliament’s ruling corporate body has announced an inquiry into the scandal, which will report back in the new year.
