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First Minister John Swinney, the sports minister and their advisers spent almost \u00a3100,000 on trips to the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Business-class flights, hotel and car hire bills amounted to \u00a398,442, including flight costs for Mr Swinney and his private secretary John Webster which cost \u00a317,893 each.<\/p>\n
Tickets for the First mMinister\u2019s special adviser Colin McAllister cost \u00a39,864.<\/p>\n
Mr Swinney insisted the government had sought to \u201cminimise\u201d costs, and that he had taken part in trade talks in Kentucky, a whisky region.<\/p>\n
While he and two senior officials travelled business class, Sports Minister Maree Todd and several other officials went to the US on significantly cheaper economy-class flights.<\/p>\n
Mr Swinney and his advisers flew to Boston for Scotland\u2019s first match and later to Miami.<\/p>\n
Economy Secretary Stephen Flynn, speaking at the Edinburgh Festival, defended the cost of the trip.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we want our politicians to go and sit in row 46 beside the toilets and then land in Boston and then go and engage with US government officials having done so we\u2019ll get exactly what we deserve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Releasing the travel expenses, the government said the US trips were made to support the national team at the World Cup as well as to hold talks on trade, tourism, culture and investment.<\/p>\n
Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr said: \u201cNobody begrudged SNP ministers joining the Tartan Army to cheer on Scotland men\u2019s team at their first World Cup appearance in nearly three decades, but in typical SNP fashion costs were never kept under control.\u201d<\/p>\n
Downing Street spent \u00a360,000 on a private jet for Sir Keir Starmer to watch the England women\u2019s team win Euros last summer.<\/p>\n
The one-night trip cost \u00a360,130, including hotels for the Prime Minister, his wife Victoria and 10 officials.<\/p>\n
Whilst in opposition, Rachel Reeves pledged to clamp down on official use of government planes in a bid to \u201csave millions of pounds for taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n
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