John Swinney cracks down on ministerial car use after Neil Gray row with 'exceptional' clause

A new section of the Scottish ministerial code sets out the rules around official cars

John Swinney has launched a crackdown on the use of ministerial cars after his health secretary was criticised for being chauffeured to football games and a film premiere.

A new section of the Scottish ministerial code sets out the rules around government vehicles, with ministers encouraged to use travel time to work “where this is possible”.

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It says close family members should only travel in the vehicles when it is in the public interest for them to attend events, for security reasons or in “exceptional” cases.

Neil GrayNeil Gray
Neil Gray | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

It comes after Neil Gray apologised for giving the impression of acting “more as a fan and less as a minister” when he was chauffeured to football games in a ministerial car. Records show he took a “partner, friend or family member” to some matches.

The health secretary was also driven to and from the UK premiere of The Outrun at the Edinburgh Film Festival in August. He and his wife Karlie posed for photographs at the event at the Cameo cinema, which was also attended by star Saoirse Ronan.

The Tories previously said Mr Gray appeared to have “simply been on a jolly”.

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The new section of the ministerial code says: “Ministers are permitted to use an official car for official business and for home to office journeys. Ministers are encouraged to use travel time in their ministerial car to work where this is possible. Where practicable, ministers are encouraged to use public transport.

“It is permissible for a close family member to travel with a minister in an official car on occasions where it is clearly in the public interest for them to attend an official engagement and/or where it is justified on security grounds.

“In all other circumstances, close family members should only travel with a minister in an official car on an exceptional basis and where this does not incur any additional public expenditure or impact on the delivery of the official duties of the minister concerned.”

It says ministers must be satisfied their travel arrangements meet the guiding principles and “can be defended in public”.

Mr Swinney published the updated ministerial code on Tuesday. Changes also mean probes into the conduct of Scottish ministers can now be sparked without the First Minister’s instruction.

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