Mairi Gougeon, a departing SNP Minister, incurred £33,000 in expenses during a two-week trip to Chile to promote Scotland’s aquaculture sector. Despite the Scottish Government’s justification for the trip, concerns over fiscal responsibility have been raised by opposition parties amidst budget cuts at home. The trip has ignited debate on governmental spending priorities during challenging financial times.

A departing Scottish National Party (SNP) Minister incurred a significant taxpayer expense of £33,000 during a government-funded trip to Chile. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon embarked on a two-week visit in March last year, aimed at expanding a memorandum of understanding with Chile established at COP26 and promoting Scotland at AquaSur. Her entourage included two officials, further escalating travel costs despite restrictions on foreign affairs falling under Westminster jurisdiction.

Despite initial reports claiming the total for Gougeon’s trip was only £7,880, a freedom of information request revealed the expenses exceeded £25,000 in official travel. The total ministerial costs reached £8,186. In the following month, Gougeon visited Barcelona, incurring an additional £3,028 expense, with her officials contributing £1,023.17.

Mairi Gougeon announced her intention to step down at the next Holyrood Election after a decade as an MSP; most notably, as Rural Affairs Secretary, she faced criticism from both fishermen and farmers regarding funding decisions. Her Chilean visit occurred amid a challenging fiscal landscape for the Scottish Government, which included significant funding cuts, such as £200 million from the affordable housing budget, while managing a highly criticized budget proposal.

Scottish Tory Deputy Leader Rachael Hamilton expressed concerns regarding the extravagant spending, stating, “Hard-pressed Scots will question… such an enormous bill… when foreign affairs is reserved to Westminster.” Hamilton emphasized the need for SNP ministers to limit the quantity and costs of international trips and concentrate on pressing domestic matters instead.

The Scottish Government publicly praised Ms. Gougeon’s Chile visit on LinkedIn, detailing her interaction with Scottish businesses at AquaSur, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest aquaculture trade fair. Highlights included meetings with aquaculture ministers from Norway and Chile, as well as participation in discussions on sustainability within the industry. Site visits to salmon producers highlighted Scotland’s status as the world’s largest salmon producer, with aquaculture significantly contributing to the Scottish economy, valued at over £1.8 billion.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government remarked, “Supporting economic growth is one of the Scottish Government’s top priorities… and it is entirely appropriate that Ministers attend large international events to promote Scotland overseas.” The Cabinet Secretary’s efforts included discussing environmental progress, emphasizing Scotland’s commitment to reducing emissions and the Memorandum of Understanding with Chile established at COP26.

In summary, the significant expenses incurred by Mairi Gougeon during her two-week trip to Chile have sparked controversy, emphasizing concerns regarding government spending in a time of austerity. While the SNP defends the trip as beneficial for promoting Scottish business and aquaculture interests, questions arise about the appropriateness of such spending in the face of budget cuts and pressing domestic issues. The need for transparency and accountability in governmental expenditures remains a priority for taxpayers.

Original Source: www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

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