Calls for transparency over £5 MILLION staff handouts & £318K exit package for ex Scottish Borders Council Chief Executive

Calls for openness over staggering £318K payoff for Council Chief Executive David Hume. THE CONTROVERSY continues over massive payouts of sums totalling FIVE MILLION POUNDS of public money handed out by Scottish Borders Council to some two hundred staff including a huge payout of £318,000 to former Chief Executive David Hume, as calls grow for openness and transparency over what has been dubbed unjustifiable outlays from the scandal hit Council which now finds itself in debt to the tune of £262 million pounds. Scottish Law Reporter reported on the over generous £5 million pound exit packages handed out to 203 SBC staff and late last week, we revealed in an exclusive report how former Chief Executive David Hume has now taken up a consultancy role for the Scottish Government who are paying his salary via a Limited company.

In response to the Southern Reporter’s publishing of a report regarding Mr Hume’s massive payout, Council publishes details of former chief exec’s exit deal, retired Scotsman journalist William Chisholm, who has been looking into the overgenerous exit packages awarded to staff at Scottish Borders Council has raised serious questions enquiring which Council committee signed off these exit deals, and suggested that “a significant number of the councillors who were members of Scottish Borders Council prior to this May’s elections had no knowledge of these extremely generous packages until the council’s accounts were published on June 30th.”

In the Southern Reporter’s article, SBC’s current Chief Executive, ‘Ms’ Tracey Logan told the paper : “We have been as open and transparent as we can. We are required to publish these details and it can all be taken at face value.”

However, Mr Chisholm rubbished ‘Ms’ Logan’s claims, pointing out the figures relating to David Hume’s massive payoff only became public after the media published details of several Freedom of Information requests which partially revealed the extent of double dealing and secrecy within the Council relating to the circumstances of Mr Hume’s departure, branded a ‘retirement’ by SBC leader David Parker, while documents obtained from Audit Scotland confirmed Mr Hume’s exit was in actuality a voluntary redundancy.

The Southern also further quoted ‘Ms’ Logan as saying “she felt people were entitled to a degree of privacy in their lives, even those working for public organisations such as the council.”

However, campaigners have countered whenever public funds are involved, especially in such numbers, there should be full transparency with no exception.

Campaigners have also queried why Scottish Borders Council “severely obstructed freedom of information requests” regarding Mr Hume’s departure, especially in light of facts reporting Mr Hume’s new position as a consultant for Children's Hearings Scotland, a Scottish Government quango, is being paid for via a limited company.

A member of the public who outed Mr Hume's latest lucrative position after leaving SBC, has told Scottish Law Reporter such payment arrangements using limited companies are now widely recognised as TAX AVOIDANCE schemes, a claim which has shamed earlier claims by Scottish Government Finance Secretary John Swinney that no such salaries are paid in Scotland.

Retired Scotsman journalist William Chisholm tackles the crisis in transparency at Scottish Borders Council :

Openness and transparency a must from now on

By William Chisholm

Your report “Council publishes details of former chief exec’s exit deal” (July 5) included statements from Mr David Hume’s successor which claimed: “We have been as open and transparent as we can” and “It can all be taken at face value”.

Those claims have something of a hollow ring to them given that Scottish Borders Council’s Freedom of Information archive shows our local authority refused requests to reveal details of the eye watering amounts of our money which had been handed over to departing members of staff during the 2011/2012 financial year.

I feel certain that but for changes in the rules governing local authority remuneration reports – councils MUST now divulge these previously well-guarded financial secrets – Borders council taxpayers would never have been told that more than £5 million had been distributed to 203 “retiring” members of staff.

Indeed it has been suggested to me that a significant number of the councillors who were members of SBC prior to this May’s elections had no knowledge of these extremely generous packages until the council’s accounts were published on June 30th. The same apparent lack of elected member involvement applied when it was decided to deposit millions of pounds of other people’s money in the unstable Icelandic banks between 2006 and 2008. Where was the transparency and openness?

So which council committee signed off these exit deals, and did anyone attempt to challenge the scale of the severance packages? A number of other councils have managed to reduce staff numbers at less cost suggesting the SBC programme is not particularly discriminatory.

According to the recently published accounts annual recurring savings from the £5.184 million exit packages will total an impressive £3.693 million with a pay-back period of 1.4 years. That remains to be seen. However, none of those savings will accrue from Mr Hume’s departure as he has been replaced after receiving £103,000 as “compensation for loss of employment”.

And do the projected savings take into account SBC’s decision to seek and obtain the Scottish Government’s consent to borrow £1.7 million to cover severance costs? So far, according to Government figures, SBC has used £1.291 million of that consent as well as the £1.021 million they borrowed to make up the Icelandic bank losses. ‘Borrow your way out of trouble’ seems to be the policy.

I would argue there has been a deliberate lack of openness and transparency on the part of the vast majority of local authorities over many decades. Yet if their plans and decisions hatched in private are sound and fair then why do they have to be forced to eventually disclose so many matters of public interest? Will openness and transparency triumph at SBC from now on? Watch this space!

NIL TRANSPARENCY AT SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL

Chief Executive Tracey Logan – campaigners asked Council about ‘relationships, conflict of interest’ with David Hume. Scottish Borders Council officials have still not explained the reasons behind Freedom of Information requests raised by members of the public in relation to “any business or personal relationships or conflicts of interest between either party occurring prior to Tracey Logan's appointment as Chief Executive and during the time Mr Hume was Chief Executive”, reported in an earlier article HERE. The same report also revealed that ‘Ms’ Logan had been signed off work for a number of weeks during the media scandal surrounding Mr Hume’s exit from SBC, and that during her absence, some SEVENTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS was spent on redecorating her office, previously occupied by Mr Hume.

Council Leader David Parker & Chief Executive David Hume before murky exit While behind the scenes bitter legal negotiations were going on between lawyers acting for Mr Hume & the Council over a “voluntary redundancy” which Council Chiefs had spun into a “retirement, Council Leader David Parker said in a press release announcing Hume’s exit : “The Council is most grateful to David for his loyal and dedicated service over the last nine years. He has been instrumental in the Council’s success, and has demonstrated enormous commitment to the Council and the Scottish Borders. He departs with the best wishes of all elected Members and staff. He leaves a Council that is in strong heart, and which has been transformed under his leadership.”

Scottish Law Reporter has previously covered a long battle between local campaigners and Scottish Borders Council who were refusing to publish details of Mr Hume’s huge publicly funded pay off in articles HERE, where it was reported Mr Hume was effectively “pushed out” of his Council post, and HERE, where it had become clear senior figures at the Council had used the scandal & cover up to maintain their grip on power.

Revelations of Mr Hume’s spending spree on Council funded credit cards, reported in more detail by Scottish Law Reporter HERE, was taken up by the SNP’s Christine Grahame, MSP for the area and Chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee who questioned why Mr Hume was able to use a corporate credit card while many constituents in the Scottish Borders are facing financial oblivion.

Finance Secretary’s claims over tax avoidance deals challenged as foi reveals Ex Council Chief David Hume paid by Scottish Govt via limited company

Finance Secretary Swinney challenged as FOI reveals Ex Council Chief paid tax efficient salary by Scottish Govt quango. CLAIMS made by Finance Secretary John Swinney in written answers to MSPs “the Scottish Government does not pay salaries with reasons of tax efficiency in mind” have been called into question after freedom of information enquiries revealed David Hume, the former Chief Executive of Scottish Borders Council who left the local authority under less then clear circumstances, has recently been paid a salary by a Scottish Government quango via a limited company, leading to allegations of TAX AVOIDANCE deals being played out in Scotland’s public sector.

The payments made to Mr Hume via a limited company are for contracts with Children's Hearings Scotland (CHS), a Scottish Government backed quango set up to deal with children who commit offences or who have welfare and protection needs require particular help and care.

Freedom of Information enquiries made by campaigners in the Borders to Children's Hearings Scotland revealed David Hume received £7,190 for three months work, an amount paid by the Scottish Government through what staff at CHS described as “an organisation called Enlighten”.

However, further enquiries made by journalists who were passed the foi responses have revealed “Enlighten” is actually a limited company identified as ENLIGHTEN : DAVID HUME CONSULTING LTD, based at"Glen Orchy” 15 Glenorchy Road, North Berwick, East Lothian.

David Hume is currently listed as the sole Director of Enlighten, according to a search on the CompanyCheck website which also revealed “Enlighten” had been registered on 15/12/2011, just over a week after Children's Hearings Scotland admitted Mr Hume had begin providing services to them. The full FOI response from CHS is available online : HERE

An expert on freedom of information who viewed the disclosures by Children's Hearings Scotland said he was of the opinion an effort had been made to withhold any references to Mr Hume being paid via a limited company.

He said : “In the current climate of sharp debate over the payment of publicly funded salaries for employees & consultants via limited companies, Children's Hearings Scotland appear to have taken it upon themselves to avoid revealing the organisation called Enlighten was actually a limited company formed by Mr Hume himself. This is not a very honest application of freedom of information.”

From riches to consultant : David Hume recently took home £318K exit package from former top post at Scottish Borders Council. The row over payments of publicly funded salaries to consultants like Mr Hume, via limited companies comes on top of recent reports Mr Hume, who took an extended period of sick leave from his Council post received a staggering THREE HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS in a pay-off linked to his application for voluntary from the scandal hit south of Scotland authority which has been criticised for its massive debt mountain of TWO HUNDRED & SIXTY TWO MILLION POUNDS, equivalent to a debt of £2,403 plus for every person currently living in the Scottish Borders.

Speaking further on Mr Hume’s work for Children's Hearings Scotland, Sara Brodie, Performance Officer for CH,S said in the freedom of information response : “Mr Hume’s role is to support the National Convener in negotiations with local authorities to agree Area Support Team structures, roles and responsibilities and to draft and negotiate partnership agreements.”

“Mr Hume is engaged as and when required by the National Convener. Mr Hume has provided this support since December 2011.  As a recently retired local authority Chief Executive, Mr Hume has specialist knowledge of the current local authority landscape, which is required to support the National Convener in her negotiations with local authorities.”

Apparently mindful of the controversy over consultants receiving their salaries & fees via limited companies, a scheme now generally accepted as that of tax avoidance, CHS officials refused to reveal the daily rate paid to Mr Hume.

CHS further admitted : “Mr Hume works on a consultancy basis in a competitive environment and as such we are satisfied that Mr Hume has commercial interests in relation to the disclosure of this information.  We believe that releasing the daily rate paid to Mr Hume would prejudice his ability to compete effectively in tendering exercises against competitors whose charges are not widely known.”

“As this exemption is conditional we have applied the ‘public interest test’.  This means we have, in all the circumstances of this case, considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.  We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.  We recognise that there is a general public interest in ensuring that there is effective oversight of expenditure of public funds and to ensure that the public is obtaining value for money.  However, we believe that this interest has been met by disclosure of the total fees paid to Mr Hume. “

A “purchase order” for services obtained from Mr Hume was also released by CHS staff, only after campaigners demanded a review of the initial decision to refuse the release of any further information on Mr Hume’s activities at Children's Hearings Scotland. The “purchase order” released by CHS staff and available to view online HERE lists the amount paid to Mr Hume as £7,190 but curiously omits any references to the funds being paid to Hume’s private limited company. Terms & Conditions of CHS contracts were also released, available to view HERE

Commenting on the refusal of Children's Hearings Scotland to disclose further information relating to Mr Hume, a legal insider today said it was ludicrous that any details of payments of public funds and especially payments of a tax efficient nature via limited companies should be withheld from taxpayers.

In the wake of the revelations of tax efficient payments to Mr Hume, attention has now turned to denials of such payments from the Scottish Government, where recently, Scotland’s Finance Secretary John Swinney was asked by Drew Smith MSP (Glasgow) (Scottish Labour): “To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has paid a salary to any (a) civil servant, (b) official, (c) consultant or (d) contractor via a (i) private company or (b) other arrangement for reasons of tax efficiency.”

Mr Swinney said in a written response published by the Scottish Parliament : “The Scottish Government does not pay salaries with reasons of tax efficiency in mind.”

In a further response to a question put by Hugh Henry, Mr Swinney went onto claim: “In all instances, the Scottish Government expects those who work on public sector business to do so within the tax system, whether that is through the Scottish Government payroll or the payroll of a parent company that the Scottish Government has a contractual arrangement with.”

However, campaigners investigating tax avoidance schemes in Scotland have today indicated they believe there is a significant network of consultants working for Scottish Government entities who are being paid salaries, fees & expenses via limited companies.

Further investigations by journalists have today revealed Mr Hume as at least one other directorship, with a company called: SCOTREGEN LIMITED, Fairfield House, Ibrox Business Park, Broomloan Place, Glasgow. Mr Hume, who is listed on the Scotregen website as a “public policy specialist” was appointed director on 24/5/2012. The list of directors of Scotregen contain the names of individuals, some of whom have multiple directorships in additional companies. One director appears to have up to FORTY TWO different directorships.

Scotregen Ltd claims its overall objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Scotland’s disadvantaged communities. The company has sponsors such as the Scottish Government, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Edinburgh City Council.

Mr Hume could not be reached for comment, and no one from the Scottish Government was available to issue any explanation about the revelations of payouts to Mr Hume or others in similar circumstances..

REVEALED : Scottish Borders Council ex-Chief Executive David Hume received £318K PAYOFF in secret voluntary redundancy package negotiated by lawyers

Is this man’s exit worth two Prime Minister’s salaries ? Scottish Borders Council accounts reveal huge exit payoff for Chief Executive David Hume who took voluntary redundancy. EXACTLY one year after Scottish Borders Council announced it’s then Chief Executive David Hume had left his post due to a “change in his personal circumstances” which came about after questions were raised over his spending on taxpayer bankrolled credit cards, financial accounts now published by the heavily-in-debt south of Scotland local authority reveal Mr Hume, who left his post in July last year after an extended period of sick leave received a staggering THREE HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS in a pay-off linked to his application for voluntary redundancy.

However, questions are now being raised why SBC Council Chiefs, Councillors & legal officers fought for over a year to cover up the details of the pay-off to Mr Hume, a deal negotiated by lawyers acting for the former Chief Executive and Scottish Borders Council, who themselves contracted a private law firm, Glasgow based MacRoberts to "provide external employment law advice" on the bitter negotiations with Mr Hume's legal team. MacRoberts part in the exit negotiations of Mr Hume has only this week been made public by Ian Wilkie, the head of SBC’s legal team in response to Freedom of Information requests by members of the public who are campaigning for an inquiry into the murky circumstances surrounding Mr Hume’s departure from Scottish Borders Council.

Rolling in it while Council debt burden increases – Salaries, Pensions & Secret Exit Packages of Council Chiefs finally revealed in secrecy battle. The annual accounts of Scottish Borders Council for 2011-2012 reveal Mr David Hume, who left his post as chief executive on 15th August 2011 received the sum of £103,174 as “compensation for loss of employment”, an explanation which local campaigners have pointed out is at odds with claims by SBC’s leader David Parker that Mr Hume retired. Council insiders have let it be known the “compensation for loss of employment” figure was the result of “tough negotiations between the legal teams.”

The accounts further reveal Mr Hume’s salary, fees and allowances for the part financial year totalled £78,868 (full year equivalent £119,223), so his total remuneration in 2011/12 was £182,042. He also left with a pension lump sum of £136,392 and an annual pension of £50,374, bringing the total of lump sums plus part year’s salary to a recession busting grant total of £318,434.

Revelations of Mr Hume’s spending spree on Council funded credit cards, reported in more detail by Scottish Law Reporter HERE, was taken up by the SNP’s Christine Grahame, MSP for the area and Chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee who questioned why Mr Hume was able to use a corporate credit card while many constituents in the Scottish Borders are facing financial oblivion.

Ms Grahame said : “While many of my constituents are struggling to make ends meet Mr Hume was using a corporate credit card to enjoy luxuries and pay for expensive goods. It also beggars belief that in his time as Chief Executive of the council he backed numerous campaigns to shop local but decided to buy a brooch from Orkney as a gift for a visiting dignitary.?”

She added : “I would like to know if Mr Hume had carte blanche when using his credit card or was this expenditure monitored. I also feel that taxpayers need to know whether this extravagance was sanctioned by senior councillors who were, at the same time, grappling with the need to cut spending and ensure value for money.?”

Council Leader David Parker & Chief Executive David Hume before murky exit While behind the scenes bitter legal negotiations were going on between lawyers acting for Mr Hume & the Council over a “voluntary redundancy” which Council Chiefs had spun into a “retirement, Council Leader David Parker said in a press release announcing Hume’s exit : “The Council is most grateful to David for his loyal and dedicated service over the last nine years. He has been instrumental in the Council’s success, and has demonstrated enormous commitment to the Council and the Scottish Borders. He departs with the best wishes of all elected Members and staff. He leaves a Council that is in strong heart, and which has been transformed under his leadership.”

However, during Mr Hume’s term at the Council, the south of Scotland local authority has found itself at the heart of persistent financial failures with the loss of millions of pounds in bankrupt Icelandic banks, and recent revelations by Scotland’s Finance Secretary John Swinney that Scottish Borders Council has a staggering debt mountain of TWO HUNRED & SIXTY TWO MILLION POUNDS.

Speaking at the Scottish Parliament, Mr Swinney also revealed Scottish Borders Council are forking out over TWELVE MILLION POUNDS A YEAR for interest on debts such as assets acquired under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) or similar arrangements, a figure which has leapt from £9,090 million in 2007 to £12,273 million as of 2011. Local campaigners in the Scottish Borders have criticised the scale of the problems at Scottish Borders Council and the lack of any substantive plans to halt the ever rising mountain of debt at the Council, which now equates to a sum of £2,403 & rising for every person living in the Scottish Borders as of this date.

Scottish Law Reporter has previously covered a long battle between local campaigners and Scottish Borders Council who were refusing to publish details of Mr Hume’s huge publicly funded pay off in articles HERE, where it was reported Mr Hume was effectively “pushed out” of his Council post, and HERE, where it had become clear senior figures at the Council had used the scandal & cover up to maintain their grip on power.

SLR also reported yesterday on the staggering FIVE MILLION POUND staff pay-off scheme operated by Scottish Borders Council in the last financial year, report available HERE

The Herald newspaper reports :

Ex-council boss given £318,000

FORMER Scottish Borders Council chief executive David Hume walked away with more than £318,000 from his final year in his post.

The financial package for the 59-year-old, who stood down in August 2011, has been shrouded in secrecy, despite Freedom of Information requests.

But council accounts for 2011-12 finally reveal the extent of payments to Mr Hume, who left his £119,000-a-year job after being on long-term sick leave and is now employed by Children's Hearing Scotland.

He received £103,174 "compensation", a pension lump sum of £136,392, and his salary, fees and allowances for the part financial year came to £78,868 – totalling £318,434.

and the story also appeared in the Scottish Daily Mail, with the following editorial :

SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL COMMENT: 5 July 2012.

COSTLY FAT CAT PAYOFFS

THE scandal of local authority fat cats enjoying massive salaries, severance payments and pensions at a time of public sector retrenchment has been aggravated by the revelation that David Hume, former chief executive of Scottish Borders Council has left his post with a total package worth £318,000 – more than double the Prime Minister’s salary.

Although it was claimed he left his job as a result of being on extended sick leave, the accounts show his pay-off included £103,174 as “compensation for loss of employment”. He is now working for Children’s Hearings Scotland.

The amount of secrecy and contradiction surrounding this massive pay off will provoke considerable public concern.

Other SBC employees are in the second year of a pay freeze, while 107 highly-paid senior officials received salary increases. The unfairness of this situation is blatant. It seems that a culture of greed and unfair remuneration is not confined to the private sector. Is this what public service is about?

£17K spent on lavish redecoration of ‘signed off’ Chief Executive’s office ‘to save environment’ at £262 Million-in-debt Scottish Borders Council

Chief Executive Tracey Logan of heavily in debt Scottish Borders Council had lavish office redecoration. ONLY FOUR DAYS after Tracey Logan, the current Chief Executive of Scottish Borders Council was signed off work on 14 February2012 from her £100K plus a year job for undisclosed health reasons, media reports have revealed SEVENTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS was spent by the massively-in-debt South of Scotland local authority Scottish Borders Council on a lavish redecoration on Ms Logan’s office, formerly used by deposed Chief Executive David Hume, who left the council last year after taking voluntary redundancy. Ms Logan’s absence from SBC was covered in a previous report HERE

Even while local taxpayers in the Scottish Borders faced the news their local authority has piled up debts of TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO MILLION POUNDS, equivalent to £2,403 & rising for every person living in the Scottish Borders, council officials spared no expense in the lavish redecoration of the ‘too sick to work’ Chief Executive, who has apparently now returned to work.

A statement released from Scottish Borders Council in response to a Freedom of Information request confirmed Ms Logan’s absence, stating : “I can advise that Tracey Logan was signed off on 14/02/12 and is ongoing. I cannot provide you with the reason why she has been signed off as this is personal information. The Council therefore relies on the exemption under Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA. The person who is Acting Chief Executive is Glenn Rodger. The Acting Chief Executive would receive an acting allowance if the situation continues for more than four weeks and would receive this until the return of Tracey Logan, Chief Executive.”

The campaigner who made the FOI request pointed out Ms Logan’s absence from the top post at SBC began coincidentally only a matter of days before headlines broke in local Borders newspapers of a scandal surrounding the departure late last summer of Scottish Borders Council’s former Chief Executive, David Hume, a subject which has also been reported by Scottish Law Reporter HERE and more recently HERE.

An announcement made by the leader of Scottish Borders Council, David Parker, last August, claimed Mr Hume had “retired” from his post as Chief Executive, ironically just a few days after a scandal of huge credit card expenses claims made by Mr Hume was reported in national newspapers and featured by Scottish Law Reporter, HERE. However, documents obtained from Audit Scotland who looked at the Council’s finances told a different story of the departure of the SBC Chief Executive, referring to a “voluntary redundancy” application made by Mr Hume.

The member of the public has also revealed he has evidence there were protracted negotiations between lawyers acting for Mr Hume and Scottish Borders Council over the terms & amount of Mr Hume’s so far secret publicly funded payoff.

It has also emerged there may be more than one angle to the scandal of Mr Hume’s departure after it was revealed by insiders that Council officials have refused to answer questions put by a member of the public who asked “..If Scottish Borders Council are or have been made aware by either David Hume or Tracey Logan of any business or personal relationships or conflicts of interest between either party occurring prior to Tracey Logan's appointment as Chief Executive and during the time Mr Hume was Chief Executive..”

Scottish Borders Council recently featured in several articles reported by SLR, HERE. It was also revealed late last week the Council’s Chief Executive, Tracey Logan had been off sick for a number of months but has since been confirmed as returning to work after questions were asked of her absence in a Freedom of Information request, all reported by SLR HERE

Local newspaper the Southern Reporter :

£16,500 spent on chief exec’s office

Published on Saturday 18 February 2012 16:33

MORE than £16,500 has been spent on altering and redecorating Tracey Logan’s office. But it is claimed the work on behalf of Scottish Borders Council’s chief executive will, in fact, save money and help the environment.

A spokeswoman for SBC said: “Alterations to the layout of the chief executive’s office were essential in order to meet the needs of the chief executive, her staff and visitors. The new layout has provided a new waiting/informal meeting area and support team office. It also involved the installation of video conferencing equipment that will be used regularly by the chief executive and her staff as part of the council’s commitment to reduce travel costs and impact on the environment.”

She added: “The chief executive wanted to avoid costs as part of this work, and was very keen to ensure old furniture was reused as far as possible. The only new furniture required as part of this new layout was chairs. The chief executive kept her desk, carpet and the other furniture in the office. Both offices and waiting area had to be redecorated due to the electrical work involved. The total cost of all of the works including building works, electrical works, redecoration and furniture was £16,520.”

Earlier report on SBC debt :

£262 MILLION POUND DEBT MOUNTAIN AT SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL :

While the Council fights to maintain the secrecy over Mr Hume’s departure and a rumoured significant financial payoff, Scotland’s Finance Secretary John Swinney heaped more pressure on SBC by revealing to Holyrood the true extent of Scottish Borders Council’s debt situation, now standing at a staggering TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO MILLION POUNDS,

Figures revealed by Mr Swinney in a written answer to Tory MSP, Margaret Scanlon revealed the debt situation at Scottish Borders Council had nearly DOUBLED in the past five years of Conservative-LibDem control, from a figure of £166,489 million in 2007 to a whopping £262,551m as of last year.

Mr Swinney also revealed Scottish Borders Council are forking out over TWELVE MILLION POUNDS A YEAR for interest on debts such as assets acquired under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) or similar arrangements, a figure which has leapt from £9,090 million in 2007 to £12,273 million as of 2011.

Local campaigners in the Scottish Borders have criticised the scale of the problems at Scottish Borders Council and the apparent lack of any leadership or desire by the former Tory-Libdem coalition to stop the ever rising mountain of debt at Scottish Borders Council, which now equates to a sum of £2,403 & rising for every person living in the Scottish Borders as of this date.

Chief Executive of £262M in-debt Scottish Borders Council ‘absent for months’ as calls grow for inquiry into payoff for ex-Council boss David Hume

Tracey Logan, the absent ‘current’ Chief Executive Scottish Borders Council INFORMATION published under Freedom of Information laws has revealed the heavily indebted Scottish Borders Council (SBC), which has recently seen control of the council pass from a Toy-Libdem coalition to that of SNP-Libdem & independent, has been operating FOR MONTHS without a full time Chief Executive after the Council was forced to admit it’s ‘current’ Chief Executive, Tracey Logan, who took on the position after the controversial ‘retirement’ of former Chief Executive David Hume, has been ‘signed off work since February 14th 2012 in an ‘ongoing’ situation.

The absence of a full time Chief Executive at Scottish Borders Council comes at a critical time for the embattled south of Scotland local authority which has been heavily criticised for multiple scandals including millions of pounds lost in bankrupt Icelandic Banks and alarmingly poor control over how it spends taxpayers cash.

A statement released from Scottish Borders Council in response to a Freedom of Information request said : “I can advise that Tracey Logan was signed off on 14/02/12 and is ongoing. I cannot provide you with the reason why she has been signed off as this is personal information. The Council therefore relies on the exemption under Section 38(1)(b) of FOISA. The person who is Acting Chief Executive is Glenn Rodger. The Acting Chief Executive would receive an acting allowance if the situation continues for more than four weeks and would receive this until the return of Tracey Logan, Chief Executive.”

The campaigner who made the FOI request and has today distributed SBC’s response to media outlets, has pointed out Ms Logan’s absence from the top post at SBC began coincidentally only a matter of days before headlines broke in local Borders newspapers of a scandal surrounding the departure late last summer of Scottish Borders Council’s former Chief Executive, David Hume, a subject which has also been reported by Scottish Law Reporter HERE and more recently HERE.

An announcement made by the leader of Scottish Borders Council, David Parker, last August, claimed Mr Hume had “retired” from his post as Chief Executive, ironically just a few days after a scandal of huge credit card expenses claims made by Mr Hume was reported in national newspapers and featured by Scottish Law Reporter, HERE. However, documents obtained from Audit Scotland who looked at the Council’s finances told a different story of the departure of the SBC Chief Executive, referring to a “voluntary redundancy” application made by Mr Hume.

Meanwhile, a member of the public who continues to investigate the deeply suspicious circumstances of Mr Hume’s departure told journalists he believes “Mr Hume was pushed out of the top job and forced to take voluntary redundancy”.

The member of the public has also revealed he has evidence there were protracted negotiations between lawyers acting for Mr Hume and Scottish Borders Council over the terms & amount of Mr Hume’s so far secret publicly funded payoff.

It has also emerged there may be more than one angle to the scandal of Mr Hume’s departure after it was revealed by insiders that Council officials have refused to answer questions put by a member of the public who asked “..If Scottish Borders Council are or have been made aware by either David Hume or Tracey Logan of any business or personal relationships or conflicts of interest between either party occurring prior to Tracey Logan's appointment as Chief Executive and during the time Mr Hume was Chief Executive..”

The member of the public who asked the question relating to “relationships” between the former & current Chief Executives has indicated he is discussing the matter with journalists.

He said : “If anyone is off sick these days and tries to claim benefits they are put through torturous checks to make sure they are not playing the system. I therefore believe these same rules must apply to public employees especially those who hold critical positions in Councils which are known to treat their citizens & taxpayers very poorly. We clearly have a right to know if the current Chief Executive is coming back at this critical time for the Scottish Borders.”

Today, a Council insider confirmed the ongoing absence of SBC’s ‘current’ Chief Executive Ms Logan. He also indicated there was “considerable fear within certain quarters the truth about Mr Hume’s departure and events connected to it may eventually become public.”

Asked if Ms Logan was expected to return to her post as Chief Executive, the insider said he had no information either way.

£262 MILLION POUND DEBT MOUNTAIN AT SCOTTISH BORDERS COUNCIL :

While the Council fights to maintain the secrecy over Mr Hume’s departure and a rumoured significant financial payoff, Scotland’s Finance Secretary John Swinney heaped more pressure on SBC by revealing to Holyrood the true extent of Scottish Borders Council’s debt situation, now standing at a staggering TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY TWO MILLION POUNDS,

Figures revealed by Mr Swinney in a written answer to Tory MSP, Margaret Scanlon revealed the debt situation at Scottish Borders Council had nearly DOUBLED in the past five years of Conservative-LibDem control, from a figure of £166,489 million in 2007 to a whopping £262,551m as of last year.

Mr Swinney also revealed Scottish Borders Council are forking out over TWELVE MILLION POUNDS A YEAR for interest on debts such as assets acquired under Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) or similar arrangements, a figure which has leapt from £9,090 million in 2007 to £12,273 million as of 2011.

Local campaigners in the Scottish Borders have criticised the scale of the problems at Scottish Borders Council and the apparent lack of any leadership or desire by the former Tory-Libdem coalition to stop the ever rising mountain of debt at Scottish Borders Council, which now equates to a sum of £2,403 & rising for every person living in the Scottish Borders as of this date.

Scottish Borders Council ‘covered up’ MASSIVE PAYOUT for departing Chief Executive David Hume to avoid impact on Local Government elections in May

WHO PUSHED WHO ? Council Leader David Parker & Chief Executive David Hume before murky exit. THE controversy surrounding the departure of David Hume from his post as Chief Executive at Scottish Borders Council, reported earlier in the month by Scottish Law Reporter HERE continues unabated, after the member of the public who had been investigating the strange case of Mr Hume’s alleged ‘retirement’, which has now been revealed through the usage of Freedom of Information legislation as an apparently secret voluntary redundancy, has now approached the Local Government Minister for help in uncovering the true nature of Mr Hume’s exit from Scottish Borders Council, along with details of what is reckoned to be a massive financial payoff.

The individual who has continued his investigations on the strange case of Mr Hume’s sudden exit from Scottish Borders Council has told Scottish Law Reporter of ongoing correspondence between himself, the Information Commissioner and the Scottish Government regarding the murky situation of SBC’s Chief Executive exit last August 2011 and a continuing unwillingness by the Council to reveal any further facts.

Meanwhile the Southern Reporter, a weekly newspaper from the Scottish Borders, now reports the Council will finally announce Mr Hume’s payoff, sometime in July.

The FOUR MONTH delay, according to an SBC insider speaking to Scottish Law Reporter, is so that the release of the information including how much Mr Hume was paid out does not impact on the local authority elections coming up on 3 May 2012, in which the ruling Conservative & Liberal Democrat parties at SBC are expected to take a battering from the voters.

A Scottish Government insider told SLR “It would be a grave matter if Scottish Borders Council delayed publishing the information on Mr Hume’s exit to avoid an impact on the ruling parties chances in the upcoming Local Government elections.”

The Southern Reporter reports :

Ex-SBC chief’s pay-off will be revealed – in July

Published on Sunday 25 March 2012 18:47

DETAILS of the financial settlement which former Scottish Borders Council chief executive David Hume received when he unexpectedly left his post last year will be made public.

A spokesman at Newtown St Boswells confirmed this week that the local authority was required to publish the 59-year-old’s pay, severance and pension benefits in its annual accounts for 2011/12 which will be open for inspection in July.

But the council is still refusing to publish these details in advance and this week’s announcement has failed to placate the Borderer who, as reported last week, has twice unsuccessfully attempted to use Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation to get to the truth.

And the man, who does not wish to be named, has this week taken his complaint to the Scottish Information Commissioner, claiming there has been a “cover-up” about the true nature of Mr Hume’s departure.

He has also written to Scottish local government minister Derek Mackay asking for an independent inquiry to be launched into the way his requests were dealt with, alleging the council had “lied” by stating in July last year that Mr Hume had retired from his £123,000-a-year post.

In his letter to the commissioner, the complainer alludes to a council press release, issued on July 1 last year, which stated: “After nine very successful years at SBC and following a change in his personal circumstances, David Hume will be retiring from his post as chief executive with effect from Monday, August 15, 2011.”

The complainer goes on: “On February 3, 2012, SBC replied to my [FoI] request, refusing to publish any information ... and refused to confirm my enquiry on whether Mr Hume retired or whether he took voluntary redundancy. On February 6, I asked SBC for a review of this decision and on March 7, following the review, I was told again the information would not be published.

“They did, however, confirm that Mr Hume did not retire as per the announcement in the original press release and that Mr Hume had taken voluntary redundancy.

“This is clearly a cover-up and the council has lied to the public and media.”

In his letter to Mr Mackay, the member of the public states: “I knew the SBC press release was full of false information and I knew Mr Hume had not retired.

“It cannot be acceptable for a Scottish council to lie to constituents, taxpayers and the media about the retirement of senior officials and cover up payouts of public money. The financial arrangements of voluntary redundancy are very different to those applied to retirement.

“We all deserve a full explanation about why SBC felt they needed to lie in a press release and cover up Mr Hume’s voluntary redundancy.”

Mr Hume has, as reported last week, been informed of The Southern’s request for a comment, but has still not contacted us.

An SBC spokesman said yesterday: “The decision of the council’s Freedom of Information advice group still stands. The council will be required to publish Mr Hume’s 2011/12 pay, severance and pension benefits in its annual accounts. The accounts will be open for public inspection in July 2012.

“Until then, it would not be appropriate for this information to be released for the reasons already stated.”

PUSHED OUT : Calls for inquiry over SBC Council Chief David Hume ‘departure’ after FOI documents reveal ‘retirement’ actually voluntary redundancy

Pushed to go? SBC Council Chief Executive David Hume receives a ‘retirement’ gift from Tory SBC Convener Alisdair Hutton AMID accusations over a Council leader’s “issuing of false statements to the media” concerning the ‘retirement’ of Chief Executive David Hume from Scottish Borders Council after a rampage of expenses charged up to taxpayer funded credit cards were revealed, reported by Scottish Law Reporter HERE, a member of the public who has been investigating the increasingly murky circumstances surrounding the departure of the SBC Council Chief last August, has now called for the Information Commissioner & Audit Scotland to investigate the local authority’s refusal to disclose exact details surrounding the exit of David Hume, who held the Chief Executive position at Scottish Borders Council for nine years.

The member of the public, who does not wish to be identified, had been using Freedom of Information legislation to find out exactly why the leader of the Council, David Parker, had claimed Mr Hume had ‘retired’, when references in documents the investigative member of the public had obtained from Audit Scotland appear to show Mr Hume actually took voluntary redundancy.

Speaking to Scottish Law Reporter, the individual claimed the local authority had refused to comply with Freedom of Information requests, and upon a call for a review, had responded with a blunt letter from the head of Scottish Borders Council’s legal team, Ian Wilkie. Mr Wilkie refused to release any further information on the matter although he grudgingly admitted Mr Hume had in fact taken voluntary redundancy instead of retiring, as had been announced by the Council leader David Parker and put out in Press Releases.

The letter from Mr Wilkie responding to FOI requests can be viewed online HERE

The Southern Reporter, a weekly paper in the Scottish Borders reports on the case :

Watchdogs set to get teeth into row over ex-SBC chief’s departure

Published on Monday 19 March 2012 13:34

TWO national watchdogs are to be asked to investigate why senior officers at Scottish Borders Council have refused to divulge information regarding the shock departure last year of chief executive David Hume.

A member of the public who sought details using freedom of information (FoI) legislation believes the Borders public has a right to know why Mr Hume left his £116,000-a-year job, the discussions relating to his leaving and, crucially, the cash and pension deal which the 59-year-old received when he quit after nine years at the helm.

And after drawing a blank through FoI channels at the local authority’s Newtown St Boswells headquarters, the man, who does not wish to be named, says he will lodge an appeal with the Scottish Information Commissioner.

He will also submit a complaint with the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman alleging maladministration by the council for claiming Mr Hume had retired when he had, claims the requester, taken voluntary redundancy.

In early July last year, SBC revealed that Mr Hume was retiring due to “a change in his personal circumstances” with effect from August 15. It was also revealed that he was on sick leave and, in the event, he did not return to his office at Newtown.

Using FoI legislation, the member of the public submitted at the end of January a formal request to SBC for information “including any discussions relating to the retirement or voluntary severance of Mr Hume from his post, including information on any payments or benefits given to Mr Hume upon his leaving the council, and clarification whether Mr Hume did, in fact, retire from SBC or left the council under a voluntary severance arrangement or package”.

The questioner received the following response: “Unfortunately, I am unable to provide you with any of the information requested as this is all personal information relating to the former chief executive and is therefore exempt under section 38 (1) (b) of Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act.”

The man then sought a review of that decision and last week received a response from Ian Wilkie, head of legal and democratic services, who said the request had now been considered by the council’s freedom of information advice group – a panel comprising Mr Wilkie and two other non-elected departmental heads from a pool of six.

Mr Wilkie said the group had agreed no response would be provided relating to discussions held with Mr Hume “on the grounds that the authority does not hold this information”.

And he explained that the group had also advised that no response would be given relating to information on any payments or benefits awarded to Mr Hume “on the grounds that this was personal information”.

Mr Wilkie did, however, add that Mr Hume “retired ... under the council’s voluntary severance arrangements”.

TheSouthern this week sought clarification of why the council did not hold information on the discussions with Mr Hume and was told by a spokesman: “The council does not minute meetings with staff regarding retirement arrangements.”

The spokesman conceded that retirement and voluntary severance were not the same thing and offered a modified reason why Mr Hume had departed.

He stated: “Mr Hume left the council under a voluntary early retirement arrangement.”

And with regard to payments made to Mr Hume, the spokesman added: “All staff are entitled to have personal information treated confidentially.”

The complainer said it beggared belief that there was no record of discussions with Mr Hume who was, after all, the highest paid employee of the council.

He said: “Voluntary redundancy and retirement are two very different events and this, I’m sure, would have huge implications for the amount of money handed over to Mr Hume on his departure. It is worrying that when some simple questions are asked about this, you get nothing but obfuscation.

“The simple fact is the people of the Borders have a right to know.”

A council spokesman, while declining to disclose Mr Hume’s contact details, said he had been in touch with the former chief executive regarding this article.

At the time of going to press, Mr Hume had not contacted us.

Questions raised over Corporate Credit Cards at Tory Libdem Scottish Borders Council as ex-Chief Executive David Hume ran up £9K bill on taxpayers

In Credit thanks to taxpayers : SBC former Chief Executive David Hume. QUESTIONS have been raised over the number & volume of CORPORATE CREDIT CARDS issued by the Tory-LibDem controlled Scottish Borders Council to its staff & others after it was revealed the now former SBC Chief Executive, David Hume, ran up a NINE THOUSAND POUND BILL on a PAID-FOR-BY-TAXPAYERS credit card issued to him by the same scandal tarnished Scottish Borders Council which lost up to TEN MILLION POUNDS in dodgy investments in now bankrupt Icelandic Banks. SBC is now seeking to cover its multi million pound Icelandic losses through the Scottish Government’s dodgy “consent to borrow scheme”, branded a ‘Council Tax freeze buy off’ by local Government experts.

The information on Mr Hume’s credit card expenses was released in response to a Freedom of Information request, which revealed among many other things, the now former Chief Executive Mr Hume liked to stay at the Royal Overseas League and the London Bridge Hotel all at taxpayers expense on Scottish Borders Council’s corporate credit card.

Mr Hume also charged for attending an Enterprising Britain awards at 11 Downing Street Award Ceremony on 16-17 October 2008. Hume seems to have been there simply because the Heart of Hawick project (a restoration of the area where the Tower Hotel used to be) was on a short list of 13 projects across the UK. The award was won by the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership. Mr Hume ran up a bill of £620 including a return flight to London costing £301 and a night’s accommodation at the swanky London Bridge Hotel (£194) and a lunch for two (£76).

From 2004 onwards Scottish Borders Council co-ordinated a “Shop Local” campaign, encouraging people to spend their money in Borders retail outlets. On 9th November 2009 Mr Hume purchased a brooch (broatch) to give to a host family during a study tour to Japan. According to the record Hume bought the brooch for £51.31 from Ola Gorie Jewellery, a designer jewellery business based in ORKNEY, which is very far removed from the Scottish Borders, who Mr Hume was allegedly representing and whose local council tax payers pay his credit card bill.

The now former Chief Executive Mr Hume also ran up charges which included magazine subscriptions to the Harvard Business Review, reference books, crockery, £7.74 for parking fees at a Commonwealth Games planning event, and even £4 for a ticket on the London Underground.

The SNP’s Christine Grahame, MSP for the area and Chair of the Scottish Parliament’s Justice Committee questioned why Mr Hume was able to use a corporate credit card while many constituents in the Scottish Borders are facing financial oblivion.

Ms Grahame said : “While many of my constituents are struggling to make ends meet Mr Hume was using a corporate credit card to enjoy luxuries and pay for expensive goods. It also beggars belief that in his time as Chief Executive of the council he backed numerous campaigns to shop local but decided to buy a brooch from Orkney as a gift for a visiting dignitary.?”

She added : “I would like to know if Mr Hume had carte blanche when using his credit card or was this expenditure monitored. I also feel that taxpayers need to know whether this extravagance was sanctioned by senior councillors who were, at the same time, grappling with the need to cut spending and ensure value for money.?”

While taxpayers may well have cause to be shocked at the scale of huge credit card bills racked up by Scottish Borders Council staff during these times of public service cuts and extortionate local Council Tax charges, it can now be revealed today there are several more credit cards issued by Scottish Borders Council to other officials including Departmental Heads : Directors of Education (Glenn Rodger), Social Work (Andrew Lowe), Resources (Tracey Logan) and Environment & Infrastructure (Rob Dickson). Details of the expenditures on these cards have now also been requested.

Scottish Borders Council recently hit the headlines with revelations of huge salaries, expenses & more, here : Reasons your Scottish Borders Council tax is so high : 15 Councillors soak up £1/2 million, Officials & Chief Exec on £100K plus & golden pensions & MONEY TO BURN : Millions lost in Icelandic banks yet 34 Scottish Borders Councillors soak up another million in salaries & expenses claims

Scottish Borders Council announced Mr Hume’s resignation on 1 July 2011, after a “change in his personal circumstances”. The ANNOUNCEMENT stated :

After nine very successful years at Scottish Borders Council and following a change in his personal circumstances, David Hume will be retiring from his post as Chief Executive with effect from Monday 15 August 2011.

Speaking, following his decision, Mr Hume stated:  “In the last nine years we have implemented a programme of change and improvement which has transformed the Council, and improved the quality of life in the Scottish Borders. As Chief Executive of the Council it has been a privilege to lead and direct these changes. However the greatest privilege of all has been to work with council colleagues, colleagues from other agencies, and the people of Border communities who never fail to demonstrate their remarkable characteristics of commitment, integrity and intelligence. I thank them all and reserve special thanks for employees of Scottish Borders Council who, in my opinion, are simply the best.” 

Council Leader David Parker said: “The Council is most grateful to David for his loyal and dedicated service over the last nine years.  He has been instrumental in the Council’s success, and has demonstrated enormous commitment to the Council and the Scottish Borders. He departs with the best wishes of all elected Members and staff. He leaves a Council that is in strong heart, and which has been transformed under his leadership.”

No mention was made in the announcement of Mr Hume’s departure of how much the Chief Executive had cost local taxpayers, nor were any benefits to the Scottish Borders of Mr Hume’s Japanese study tour mentioned.

A local political reform campaigner today condemned the huge amounts of money spent by SBC officials on credit cards.

He said : “I thought David Cameron said we were all in this recession together ? However this does not appear to be the case at Scottish Borders Council.”

He continued : “This binge on credit cards at Scottish Borders Council is one of the many causes why we in the Scottish Borders are all having to fork out extortionate council tax payments on properties worth nowhere near their claimed values to keep Councillors and their officials in their undeserved luxurious salaries, expenses & pensions schemes while the rest of us rot. It is disgusting. They should be made to repay every penny.”

The full details of Mr Hume’s reasons to be cheerful (having a taxpayer funded credit card you don't need to worry about paying at the end of the month) are revealed here :

FOI Request - Spend on Credit Card in name of David Hume

Date Item purchased Reason Vendor Cost (£) Statement Date 2008/09
21.04.08 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £69 07.05.08
08.05.08 Magazine Subscription Reference E Map Business Communications £195 05.06.08
10.06.08 Return Train Ticket, Edinburgh - Glasgow Meeting Transport Minister National Express £9.80 05.06.08
11.06.08 2 Reference Books Reference Van Guard Consulting £36.60 05.06.08
27.06.08 1 Night Hotel Accomadation Conference Attendance Patio Hotel, Aberdeen £131.91 05.06.08
30.06.08 Lunch for 3 people Meeting Doric Tavern, Edinburgh £48.20 05.06.08
03.06.08 Lunch for 2 people Meeting Marmions, Melrose £23.04 05.06.08
04.08.08 Lunch for 3 people Meeting Burts, melrose £73.74 06.08.08
04.09.08 Annual Members Fee Corporate Credit Card Bank of Scotland £20.00 04.09.08
06.10.08 Ret. Flight Edin-Lon Award Ceremony, Downing Street BMI £301.60 06.11.08
16.10.08 Lunch for 2 ppl Award Ceremony, Downing Street London Bridge hotel £76.83 06.11.08
16.10.08 Accom. Hotel Award Ceremony, Downing Street London Bridge hotel £194.89 06.11.08
17.10.08 Parking Airport Award Ceremony, Downing Street NCP ltd £10.89 06.11.08
16.10.08 Shuttle Fair London Award Ceremony, Downing Street Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.11.08
17.10.08 Underground Ticket Award Ceremony, Downing Street TFL MFM £4.00 06.11.08
23.10.08 Ticket for Award Ceremony Scottish Border Awards Dinner Big Partnership Aberdeen £45.00 06.11.08
26.10.08 Parking Fees Commonwealth Games Planning Event NCP ltd £7.74 06.11.08
21.10.08 Hotel Accommodation COSLA Conference Watermill Hotel, Paisley £51.06 06.11.08
26.10.08 Hotel Accommodation commonwealth games planning event SAS Radison Glas £114.89 06.11.08
27.11.08 Seminar Attendance Fee Election Training Seminar Solice Enterprises Ltd £390.00 04.12.08
02.03.09 Magazine Subscription Reference Subs-Service.co.uk £93.00 05.03.09
2009/10
16.03.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £126.47 06.04.09
13.05.09 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.05.09
11.06.09 Dinner for 6 people Visiting International Dignatory Town House, Melrose £115.98 06.07.09
17.06.09 Membership Fee Reduced Accommodation Cost Royal Overseas League £143.00 06.07.09
17.06.09 Return Flight, Edinburgh - London SFI Board Meeting BMI £173.60 06.07.09
22.06.09 Underground Ticket, London SFI Board Meeting TFL MFM £4.00 06.07.09
23.06.09 1 Night B&B, London SFI Board Meeting Royal Overseas League £113.91 06.07.09
23.06.09 Airport Parking Costs SFI Board Meeting NCP Ltd £12.52 06.07.09
22.06.09 Heathrow Express Ticket SFI Board Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.07.09

23.06.09 Underground Ticket SFI Board Meeting TFL MFM £4.00 06.07.09
18.08.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £54.17 06.08.09
07.09.09 Membership Fee Corporate Credit Card membership Bank of Scotland £20.00 06.08.09
11.09.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference, Brighton Solice Ltd £210.00 06.10.09
24.09.09 Return Flight, London - Tokyo Study Tour Japan Airline Net £1,164.52 06.10.09
25.09.09 Flight, Edinburgh - Gatwick Solice Conference, Brighton BMI £51.20 06.10.09
25.09.09 Flight Gatwick - Edinburgh Solice Conference, Brighton Air France £93.26 06.10.09
25.09.09 Return, Flight Edinburgh - London Pre Meet Japanese Study Tour (in London) British Airways £106.60 06.10.09
05.10.09 Return Fair Edinburgh - Glasgow Railway Meeting National Express £31.40 06.10.09
05.10-.09 Railway Parking Fee Railway Meeting Apcoa Parking £6.96 06.10.09
05.10.09 Rail Link  Japanese Study Tour Pre Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 06.10.09
05.10.09 Evening Meal Japenese Study Tour Pre Meeting Seafood Bar, Edinburgh Airport £8.02 06.10.09
06.10.09 Airport Parking Speaking Engagement Solice Conference NCP ltd £12.52 05.11.09
06.10.09 Hotel Accommodation Japanese Study Tour Pre Meeting Royal Overseas League £108.91 05.11.09
05.10.09 Coffee/tea Meeting Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh £8.83 05.11.09
14.10.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference, Brighton Solice UK £398.00 05.11.09
20.10.09 Trian Ticket, Gatwick - Brighton Solice Conference, Brighton Gatwick Express £24.90 05.11.09
20.10.09 Lunch Solice Conference, Brighton Café Rouge £14.13 05.11.09
22.10.09 Train Ticket, Brighton - London Solice Conf Brighton Southern Rail Brighton £30.40 05.11.09
22.10.09 Airport Parking Solice Conference, Brighton NCP Ltd £20.61 05.11.09
22.10.09 Underground Ticket Solice Conference, Brighton TFL MFM £6.30 05.11.09
22.10.09 2 Nights Accommodation Solice Conference, Brighton Hilton Hotel, Brighton £186.91 05.11.09
23.10.09 Overnite Accommodation Cosla Seminar Dacota Hotel, Glasgow £89.13 05.11.09
03.11.09 Crockery Office Use China Presentation £27.04 05.11.09
09.11.09 Broatch Gift to Host Family in Japan Ola Gorie Jewellery £51.31 04.12.09
09.11.09 Flight, London - Edinburgh Study Tour Japan BMI £93.00 04.12.09
09.11.09 Flight, Edinburgh - London Study Tour Japan BMI £54.30 04.12.09
09.11.09 Overnight Accommodation, London (pre flight) Study Tour Japan Destina Group £85.39 04.12.09
18.11.09 Evening Meals, 2 days Study Tour Japan Prince Hotels, Tokyo £46.63 04.12.09
26.11.09 Evening Meals plus Coffee, 2 days Study Tour Japan Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo £63.47 04.12.09
16.12.09 Conference Fees Solice Conference Solice.org £488.75 07.01.10
28.01.10 Evening Meeting and Dinner for 3 people Visiting Chief Executive Burts Hotel, Melrose £265.06 07.01.10
02.02.10 Mobile Phone Case Protect Phone Amazon £9.95 05.02.10
10.02.10 Conference Fees Conference Attendance J Press Scott .adv £149.00 05.03.10
2010/11
08.03.10 Flight, London - Edinburgh SFI Editorial Board Meeting BMI Onine £86.30 08.04.10
08.03.10 Flight, Edinburgh - London SFI Editorial Board Meeting British Airways £112.20 08.04.10

15.03.10 Heathrow Express SFI Editorial Board Meeting Heathrow Rail Link £32.00 08.04.10
16.03.10 Overnight Accommodation SFI Editorial Board Meeting Royal Overseas League £110.64 08.04.10
18.03.10 Parking Fee, Edinburgh Airport SFI Editorial Board Meeting NCP Ltd £6.98 08.04.10
15.03.10 London Underground Ticket SFI Editorial Board Meeting TFL MFM £5.60 08.04.10
17.03 10 Return Rail Fair, Edinburgh - Dundee Strategic Review Group Meeting First Scot Rail £51.10 08.04.10
01.04.10 Lunch for 4 people Meeting with Heriot Watt University Burts, Melrose £87.24 08.04.10
16.05.10 Overnight Accommodation Historic Silver Arrow Shoot Tontine Hotel, Peebles £55.32 07.06.10
19.05.10 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.06.10
27.05.10 Magazine Subscription, 2years Reference Subs-Service.co.uk £182.00 07.06.10
25.06.10 Evening Meal for 4 people COSLA Convention Uplawmuir Hotel, Glasgow £188.98 06.07.10
15.07.10 Reference Books Reference Amazon £12.49 05.08.10
09.08.10 Magazine Subscription Reference E Map Business Communications £140.00 06.09.10
16.08.10 Photographs from Local News Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £2.58 06.09.10
16.08.10 Extra Copies Local Newspaper Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £7.80 06.09.10
16.08.10 Extra Copies Local Newspaper Historical Interest J Press Scott .adv £7.80 06.09.10
06.09.10 Purchase of Government Paper Research Paypal Emerald £14.50 06.09.10
06.09.10 Membership Fee Corporate Credit Card Bank of Scotland £15.00 06.09.10
07.10.10 Annual Member Fee Solice Professional Membership Solice £398.00 04.11.10
08.10.10 Dinner for Visit for Overseas Dignatory Hospitality Burts, Melrose £121.74 04.11.10
21.10.10 Dinner for 5 people COSLA Convention Rupee Room, Ayre £105.06 04.11.10
22.10.10 B&B 1 Night Fairfield House, Ayre £75.75 04.11.10
26.10.10 Ticket Free Lecture Professional Lecture Usher Hall Box Office £5.75 04.11.10
Jan & Feb no spend
14.02.11 Day Attendance Conference Fee Solice Conference Solice £150.00 07.03.11
15.02.11 Security Key Store Office Equipment Amazon £19.99 07.03.11
21.02.11 Reference Book Reference Carrick Media £48.00 07.03.11
01.03.11 Magazine Subscription Reference Harvard Business Review £85.00 07.03.11
04.03.11 B&B 1 Night Solice Conference St. Michaels Inn, St. Andrews £54.17 07.03.11
Total £9,019