HEALTH Secretary Neil Gray has apologised for what he called an "inadvertent error" in his statements to parliament about the documentation of meetings at football matches he attended.
The SNP minister was accused of potentially misleading the Scottish Parliament by saying that minutes were taken at all the meetings in football stadiums.
Following a Freedom of Information request, the Sunday Post newspaper was told by the government there was no note produced of the meeting at the 2023 League Cup Final at Hampden Park, where Rangers defeated Aberdeen.
In November, Gray, an Aberdeen supporter, said it is legitimate for ministers to attend sporting events and he will continue to do so.
However, he apologised after admitting he had given the impression of “acting more as a fan and less as a minister” and should have “attended a wider range of games”.
In a statement to parliament he said he attended six matches, including two games involving the Scottish national team, being driven to the games in a government car.
First Minister John Swinney has said he considers the matter “closed” and others in the SNP have defended Gray.
Raising a point of order in Holyrood on Tuesday, Tory MSP Stephen Kerr said the government’s response to the Sunday Post contradicted Gray’s earlier assertion that there are minutes from all the meetings.
Kerr (below) said: “Clearly, the Cabinet Secretary has provided information to parliament which is inaccurate, whether intentionally or otherwise.”
He asked the Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone: “What powers do you have as presiding officer to sanction a member who has evidentially made a false statement to this chamber?”
Johnstone said the content of contributions is not a matter for the chair to rule on but it is of “paramount importance” that accurate information is given to parliament.
Labour’s Neil Bibby also raised the issue in a point of order, urging Gray to give a further statement explaining the “glaring inconsistency”.
He said: “There is a significant risk here that the Cabinet Secretary may have misled this parliament and the situation at present cannot be allowed to stand.”
Gray apologised on Tuesday in a letter to Johnstone, saying: “I have reviewed my answer to Stephen Kerr.
"In it, in relation to the summaries of meetings, I stated: 'Those summaries will be available for all the engagements that I have been participating in.'
“Despite being clear earlier in the session that I would need to check, I recognise that I asserted that there would be summaries available for all the engagements.
“It has since come to light that this is incorrect and I am sorry for the inadvertent error.”
