Scottish Minister misses questions due to late lunch

Friday, 25 June 2004 12:00 AM

Scottish Arts Minister, Frank McAveety, was yesterday forced to apologise to the Scottish Parliament after arriving late to answer questions on behalf of the Executive.

Arriving in the chamber after missing two questions, Mr McAveety told the chamber that he was "unavoidably detained there during the Arts Council book awards."

Unfortunately for Mr McAveety three journalists had previously seen him eating lunch in the Scottish Parliament canteen when he was supposed to be in the chamber- pie, roast potatoes and beans according to the Scotsman.

Apparently a colleague rushed into to canteen to remind Mr McAveety he was meant to be in the chamber.

Later, after a dressing down from First Minister Jack McConnell, he told MSPs: "I wish to apologise unreservedly for failing to be present at the start of Question Time and for inadvertently misleading parliament."

The Presiding Officer George Reid accepted his apology and no further action will be taken.

Mr McConnell apparently told the Minister that the incident must not happen again, and fell short of the standards expected of ministers.

Opposition MSPs are unimpressed.

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