Minister is left eating humble pie

Key points

• New Scottish Parliament scandal arises

• Lunch takes precedence over ministerial duties

• Apology demanded

Key quote

"I understand I have occasionally been described as a philistine. I have checked it in the dictionary and I can't find it under ‘F’ anywhere." - Frank McAveety, Arts Minister

Story in full THE Scottish Parliament was in a frenzy over a new scandal yesterday as reports emerged of "Porky Piegate" - a tale of a minister, a hearty lunch and an embarrassing apology.

The minister was the gaffe-prone Frank McAveety, the arts minister, who was forced to apologise to his fellow MSPs yesterday for taking time out to enjoy a solid lunch in the MSPs’ canteen when he should have been answering questions in the chamber.

Mr McAveety’s late lunch of pie, roast potatoes and beans was rudely interrupted at 2:10pm yesterday afternoon when his one of his colleagues burst into the canteen and told him he should have been answering questions on behalf of the Executive in the chamber from 2pm.

Mr McAveety rushed to the chamber but then managed to compound his original error by telling MSPs he had been "unavoidably detained" because of a literary event, failing to mention that he had actually been late because of his desire for a pie and beans.

The minister had indeed been at an arts council book event but he had left in good time to make the chamber in time for ministers’ questions.

He had actually arrived late for the Scottish Arts Council's Book of the Year award as well and told the guests he had been detained by First Minister’s Questions in the parliament.

And, in an off-the-cuff remark which he may come to regret, Mr McAveety told guests at the awards ceremony: "I understand I have occasionally been described as a philistine. I have checked it in the dictionary and I can't find it under ‘F’ anywhere."

Unfortunately for him, Mr McAveety’s political opponents took a dim view, both of Mr McAveety’s absence and of his none-too-convincing explanation, and demanded an apology.

The arts minister returned to the chamber, looking suitably chastened at 5pm, after a roasting from Jack McConnell, the First Minister - which could have been similar to the one given to his lunchtime potatoes - and apologised for his mistakes.

He told MSPs: "I wish to apologise unreservedly for failing to be present at the start of Question Time and for inadvertently misleading parliament."

He obviously hoped his explanation would curry favour with his political opponents but that proved to be pie-in-the-sky as they lined up to attack him for his lapse.

Mr McAveety did enough, however, to convince the Presiding Officer, George Reid, that he was contrite and Mr Reid said his apology was sufficient.

He said the minister had given "a fairly unreserved apology" and the issue should probably be left at that.

Some colleagues felt Mr McAveety might indeed have had his chips, given his recent run of high-profile problems, but it appeared last night that Mr McConnell had decided to persevere with his arts minister, at least for the foreseeable future.

A spokesman for the First Minister said Mr McConnell had accepted Mr McAveety’s apology but made it clear that his "behaviour fell below the standards" expected of ministers.

The self-assured and dapper Mr McAveety had already been at the centre of a political storm over the future of Scottish Opera.

And this is not the first time the arts minister has got himself into an embarrassing situation.

He was mocked by a sheriff last week as he cleared two anti-war protesters of terrorising the politician in the street.

Mr McAveety had said he had felt the "worst intimidation in his life" after an incident which occurred while he was canvassing in Glasgow's South Side.

But Sheriff Graeme Warner said the minister had "completely blown his credibility" by making such a comment.

The sheriff went on: "Frank McAveety’s evidence of events was all over the place, and it is fair to say he over-egged the pudding."

It is understood that Mr McAveety, who came in for intense criticism over his handling of the proposed cuts for Scottish Opera, is still smarting from the sheriff’s withering criticism.