TAXPAYERS were billed almost £50,000 to fly the Scottish Government's top economic advisers to a series of meetings, it emerged today.
The Council of Economic Advisers – which met five times between September 2007 and January 2009 – also ran up food and drinks bills of more than £11,000.
Labour and Conservatives criticised the level of spending.
But a spokesman for First Minis
ter Alex Salmond defended the cost and said the council – led by former Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Sir George Mathewson – had not charged for their time and expertise.
The breakdown of costs, released under freedom of information rules, showed that flights taken by one member, California University professor Finn Kydland, cost more than £15,000 for two meetings.
Sir George took a £4,280 flight to a meeting in Stirling Castle in February last year.
At one meeting in October, the Government spent more than £3,500 on food and drink.
The travel costs varied widely – between £17 for a flight last October to £7,894 in January.
Some council members paid their own travel expenses.
Labour finance spokesman Andy Kerr MSP said: "The Council of Economic Advisers could play an important role in bringing senior business players round the table but when families around Scotland are tightening their belts we should expect SNP ministers to do the same."
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: "At a time when Alex Salmond is endlessly bleating about a £500 million cut to the Scottish block grant, it might be expected that the Scottish Government would be looking to avoid extravagant and unnecessary expenses."
A spokesperson for the First Minister said: "The Council of Economic Advisers is one of the most distinguished team of experts ever assembled anywhere, including two Nobel laureates, world-acknowledged academics, as well as some of Scotland's most outstanding business people.
"They are giving their time and expertise to help Scotland's economy for no charge whatever.
"They would cost millions to hire commercially but aren't charging a single penny."
