By David Scott
23 February 2010
Public spending watchdog Audit Scotland is considering carrying out a detailed investigation into Scotland’s largest transport authority following a row over expenses and trips abroad.
In the midst of the controversy, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport chief executive Ron Culley and its chair, Glasgow councillor Alastair Watson, stood down citing health reasons. The vice-chair, South Lanarkshire councillor David McLachlan, has also left. He claimed the SPT had received ‘unjust criticism, which has reflected on me’.
The call for an investigation by Audit Scotland was made after a Freedom of Information request disclosed that SPT officials claimed about £120,000 in expenses between 2006 and 2009.
Over the past three years, 11 directors and executives made visits to destinations including China, India, Italy and the US.
Audit Scotland confirmed this week that the watchdog is considering a request by a Scottish National Party councillor for an investigation into the expenses issues.
‘We’re considering the issues and seeing what is involved and we will reply within 30 working days,’ a spokeswoman said.
The authority’s auditors, KPMG, are already reviewing all aspects of SPT’s expenses policy.
A spokesman for SPT said it could confirm the chief executive was seeking early retirement for health reasons.
In a statement, Culley, who has been off work with a mild heart condition, said health problems meant he could not devote the ‘energy levels necessary to drive SPT forward and to serve the needs of the new chair’.
He said: ‘I am confident that the investigation being undertaken under the auspices of Audit Scotland will exonerate officers of SPT as all delegations over the past four years were approved in advanced by an authority comprising members of every major political party.’
Glasgow councillor Jonathan Findlay, a lawyer, is due to be appointed new chair of SPT at a meeting on February 26. His remit is to take a ‘firm grip’ of the organisation and ‘to get to the bottom of everything that is going on there’.
23 February 2010
Public spending watchdog Audit Scotland is considering carrying out a detailed investigation into Scotland’s largest transport authority following a row over expenses and trips abroad.
In the midst of the controversy, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport chief executive Ron Culley and its chair, Glasgow councillor Alastair Watson, stood down citing health reasons. The vice-chair, South Lanarkshire councillor David McLachlan, has also left. He claimed the SPT had received ‘unjust criticism, which has reflected on me’.
The call for an investigation by Audit Scotland was made after a Freedom of Information request disclosed that SPT officials claimed about £120,000 in expenses between 2006 and 2009.
Over the past three years, 11 directors and executives made visits to destinations including China, India, Italy and the US.
Audit Scotland confirmed this week that the watchdog is considering a request by a Scottish National Party councillor for an investigation into the expenses issues.
‘We’re considering the issues and seeing what is involved and we will reply within 30 working days,’ a spokeswoman said.
The authority’s auditors, KPMG, are already reviewing all aspects of SPT’s expenses policy.
A spokesman for SPT said it could confirm the chief executive was seeking early retirement for health reasons.
In a statement, Culley, who has been off work with a mild heart condition, said health problems meant he could not devote the ‘energy levels necessary to drive SPT forward and to serve the needs of the new chair’.
He said: ‘I am confident that the investigation being undertaken under the auspices of Audit Scotland will exonerate officers of SPT as all delegations over the past four years were approved in advanced by an authority comprising members of every major political party.’
Glasgow councillor Jonathan Findlay, a lawyer, is due to be appointed new chair of SPT at a meeting on February 26. His remit is to take a ‘firm grip’ of the organisation and ‘to get to the bottom of everything that is going on there’.