Michael Matheson's suspension - here are the five key points from damning verdict

A standard committee has recommended former Scottish health secretary Michael Matheson be suspended from Parliament for 27 sitting days for his role in the iPad expenses scandal.

The Falkirk MSP, who racked up an £11,000 bill on a parliamentary device, would have his salary withheld for 54 days under the recommendation from the standards, procedures and public appointments committee (SPCB).

The recommendations will now go before MSPs in a vote for approval.

SNP MSP Michael Matheson was found to have breached the code of conduct for MSPs by attempting to use expenses and office costs to cover a near-£11,000 data roaming bill racked up on a parliamentary device. Picture: PA

The SNP MSP's iPad was used to set up a wifi hot-spot during a family holiday to Morocco in December 2022, during which time he said his children used the hotspot to watch football. Mr Matheson initially denied there had been any inappropriate use of the tablet, but later resigned from his position after it became apparent the bill was not related to parliamentary business.

Martin Whitfield, the head of the SPCB, backed a proposal from Conservative MSP Annie Wells to suspend Mr Matheson for almost one month after the committee investigated Mr Matheson’s expenses bill.

Here are five key points from the damning verdict

- The SPCB found Mr Matheson had breached the MSP’s code of conduct, and decided the former minister had made an improper claim under members’ reimbursement scheme, and failed to make sure his iPad’s hot-spot ability was not used for non-parliamentary business;

- The SPCB found Mr Matheson “failed to undertake a sufficient level of inquiry” before making the claim.

- In deciding whether to sanction Mr Matheson, the standards committee did note the Sim card used in the iPad was outdated, and under a new plan available to members of the Scottish Parliament, the bill would have been greatly reduced;

- The committee also noted there had been several attempts to replace the Sim card, and said “other steps should have been taken by Parliament”, such as providing a new Sim card by post or cancelling the iPad’s Sim card after the contract was not updated;

- However, the committee ruled Mr Matheson’s failure to notify the parliament of his trip to Morocco was “a contributory factor” in the colossal bill.

Was the verdict on Michael Matheson’s suspension unanimous?

Mr Whitfield, a Labour MSP, said the body was unanimous in its view that sanctions should be imposed by the Scottish Parliament.

“The committee is also unanimous in its view that it is appropriate to recommend sanctions that include a financial element and a period of exclusion from the proceedings of the parliament and its committees,” he said.

“The committee is unanimous in recommending a financial sanction of withdrawal of salary for a period of 54 days.”

However, the committee was not able to reach a unanimous view on the period of exclusion from proceedings that should be recommended, Mr Whitfield said. A proposal for a period of exclusion of 27 sitting days was made by Conservative MSP Annie Wells and supported by fellow Tory Oliver Mundell.

The SNP MSPs on the committee, Jackie Dunbar and Alastair Allen, did not agree with the proposal. But Mr Whitfield’s casting vote as convener of the committee carried the vote in favour of banning Mr Matheson for 27 sitting days.