SCOTTISH Tory leader Douglas Ross has urged the First Minister to timetable a debate at Holyrood next week so MSPs can further question Michael Matheson about data roaming charges he racked up on holiday in Morocco.
After Matheson made an emotional statement in Parliament detailing how his teenage sons had used his Holyrood-issued iPad to watch football matches, Ross insisted in a fresh letter to Humza Yousaf that his words had raised “more questions than answers”.
Matheson – whose iPad use abroad led to a bill of almost £11,000 – has been accused of lying to the public and press after he initially insisted the device had only been used for parliamentary work during the trip.
The Health Secretary said he had not been aware his family had used the iPad until last Thursday after the first media reports emerged. He insisted it was used by his sons as a hotspot to allow internet access from other devices.
In his letter, Ross has asked Yousaf a host of questions about what he knew and when, such as why he said on Wednesday – the day before Matheson revealed the full details of the data usage – that Matheson had made “an honest mistake in relation to the sim card not being updated” when by this point he allegedly knew Matheson’s family members had used the device.
Ross asked Yousaf if he would demand Matheson publish “all the work conducted during his holiday in Morocco or at the very least disclose the volume of work”.
Humza Yousaf owes the public an explanation and apology for backing a minister he knew had lied. I've written to the First Minister demanding answers to some serious questions that remain. His integrity is on the line every bit as much as that of his disgraced Health Secretary👇 pic.twitter.com/h78V06yhGn
— Douglas Ross MP MSP (@Douglas4Moray) November 17, 2023
The Tory leader additionally said a parliamentary spokesperson had “directly contradicted” Matheson by suggesting there was no record of him being told he could use the iPad as a hotspot.
He asked Yousaf if he would be investigating whether GDPR had been breached.
Ross went on: “Given the lack of transparency and the growing list of questions, it is right Parliament has more time to scrutinise the timeline of Michael Matheson’s and your own statements.
“Will you therefore agree to timetable a debate next week whether further questions can be put to the Health Secretary directly?
“Contrary to your previous claims to the press, a line has not been drawn under this matter and many questions remain unanswered by you and Michael Matheson. The public deserve transparency.”
Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme on Friday, Scottish Conservatives’ depute leader Meghan Gallacher said Matheson’s story had “changed significantly” and his position was “untenable”.
On Thursday, Matheson apologised for the situation and said he had not mentioned his family’s involvement earlier because he was a “father first and foremost” and had wanted to “protect” his children from “the political and media scrutiny”.
At First Minister’s Questions directly before the statement was made, Yousaf said he had “absolute confidence” in Matheson.
