Scottish Health Secretary Michael Matheson Agrees to Reimburse £11,000 iPad Roaming Charges Incurred on Holiday

Matheson's decision to repay the full amount comes after public outcry and allegations of failing to follow parliamentary guidelines, initially agreeing to pay only £3,000 of the charges.

• Scottish Health Secretary Michael Matheson has agreed to reimburse £11,000 of roaming charges he incurred by taking his parliamentary iPad on holiday, after initially agreeing to pay only £3,000 of the charges.
• Matheson's decision to repay the full amount comes after public outcry and allegations of failing to follow parliamentary guidelines, which state that the parliament would only cover roaming costs up to £200.
• The charges were incurred during a week-long holiday in Morocco last Christmas, and Matheson initially claimed these costs were incurred in relation to parliamentary business and not for personal or government use.
• The Scottish Parliament initially agreed to fund the £7,935.74 balance from its own budget, after Matheson agreed to use his taxpayer-funded expenses to fund £3,000 of the bill.
• The incident has sparked a policy review of data usage by the Scottish Parliament, which will consider the potential for members to be personally liable for costs where they have not acted in full accordance with IT office requirements.

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