The Scottish Government is set to be investigated by UK officials over concerns it has been spending public money on matters not within its remit, Parliament has heard.
Officials in the Treasury and the Office of the Advocate General of Scotland will look into money spent working on Scottish independence.
This is a reserved matter because it relates to the constitution.
Scottish Labour peer George Foulkes, who has been campaigning on the issue, said he had been assured by the Advocate General for Scotland Keith Stewart that “ultra-vires” expenditure would be looked into.
He told the House of Lords: “The Advocate General for Scotland has agreed, at my request, to instruct his officials to investigate ultra-vires expenditure by the Scottish Government.”
He then asked Treasury minister Joanna Penn to “give her assurance that her officials in the Treasury will work co-operatively” with the Advocate General’s officials.
Lady Penn responded: “I can give him that assurance.”
This comes after First Minister Humza Yousaf created a minister for independence role for Jamie Hepburn and civil servants delivered the latest independence prospectus.
The Supreme Court confirmed last year that the constitution is a reserved matter in a high-profile case.
There is reportedly no UK Government investigation into the Scottish Government’s spending on independence.
A UK Government spokesperson said: “It is up to the Scottish Government how it spends its record block grant in devolved areas.
“We have been consistently clear that we think that the priority for people in Scotland is halving inflation, tackling the NHS waiting times, ensuring energy security, and growing our economy across the whole of the UK.”
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
