An SNP cabinet minister is facing a ministerial code probe after she and her French husband twice accepted hospitality to watch France play rugby.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and husband Baptiste were guests of Salmon Scotland at Murrayfield in 2022 and 2024.
Under the Scottish Ministerial Code, ministers must declare hospitality accepted in a ministerial capacity worth more than £140.
But the £1,500 worth of tickets, lunch and drinks at the ‘hospitality village’ for February’s Six Nations game were not included in Ms Gougeon’s official register of ministerial gifts or MSP interests.
The Scottish Conservatives said both matches ‘should be looked into’ in light of First Minister John Swinney publishing a new version of the Scottish Ministerial Code this month. It allows independent ethics advisers to initiate their own probes.
The Scottish Government last week said Ms Gougeon only took her husband to this year’s Scotland v France game.
But the Sunday Post reported she also took him to see the sides play in 2022.
Holyrood’s rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon and her husband Baptiste
The couple were invited by Salmon Scotland, which represents a 200-farm industry worth £760 million to the Scottish economy.
The Sunday Post reported that no government official was present on either occasion and no records were made. However, Salmon Scotland did file reports with the Scottish Lobbying Register.
The trade body said that in 2022 it ‘invited several influential French buyers to the match to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Scottish salmon securing the prestigious Label Rouge quality marque and the Cabinet Secretary was invited along to meet them’.
The 2024 meeting was described in far vaguer terms.
‘We explained salmon sector developments, innovation and key international trends in a wide ranging discussion about the importance of salmon to the rural economy,’ it said.
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: ‘Mairi Gougeon’s claim that both these trips involved official business is ridiculous, given no officials were there to record discussions.’
A government spokesman added: ‘Not all events ministers attend are minuted but a summary is often available, where required. There were no actions recorded or required of the Scottish Government following this event.’
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