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http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinbu...5459855.jp
Quote:quote:
Heritage chiefs clock up ?58,000 in expenses
? Date: 15 July 2009
By GEMMA FRASER
BOSSES at Historic Scotland have claimed almost ?58,000 in expenses, including entry to castles, Christmas cards and a tourism "masterclass", it has been revealed.
More than half of the claims ? ?34,211 ? were for travel expenses for senior managers and board members.
The Edinburgh-based organisation's chief executive, John Graham, put in the most claims over the past three years, totalling ?18,800.
He claimed just over ?10,000 in travel alone, while also racking up expenses of ?4,600 in accommodation and food.
Mr Graham also claimed ?24.90 for admission to castles not managed by Historic Scotland as well as ?17.50 for Christmas cards and almost ?100 for what is described as a "tourism masterclass"....................................But while many MPs and top BBC executives may struggle to defend their spending from the public purse, Historic Scotland says extensive travel ? which accounts for the majority of its expenses ? is essential for its senior management and board members
read on... :face-huh:
Storm in a teacup? or what?
<hr>Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mohandas Gandhi
For really I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he
Thomas Rainborough 1647
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Honestly? I think this is a storm in a teacup. For senior managers at that level you would hope that they are visiting their own (and others') monuments, travelling to discuss tricky casework problems (like Highland castles that owners want to rebuild), and keeping abreast of what's happening outside Scotland's borders. I once applied for a HS job that turned out to cover Highland and Grampian Regions, based in Edinburgh - I'd have spent most of my life travelling if I'd gone there.
Aspects of expenses claims can easily be subject to ridicule, especially when taken in isolation. The Christmas card claim does look pretty silly, but let's keep things in perspective - there are no claims for duck houses.
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?6k a year for the chief exec's expenses looks very modest. In no way news worthy.
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What? The people who protect Scotland's heritage want to actually *see* some of it, and learn a bit more about what to do with it??? Outbloodyrageous.
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I would also point out that my late faither was a journalist for Scottish national newspapers for many years. He had to make up many things in the course of his work - you didn't think that some of the weirder letters to agony aunts come from real readers, did you? - but his impressive imaginative powers were only really stretched when compiling his expenses.
Resistance is futile. Your project documentation will be MoRPHE-compliant.
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I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg- after Westminster and the BBC, a lot of civil service types can expect vigorous scrutiny of their expenses from press and politicos.
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Nice one Drudge. Nothing wrong with creative recycling, and I'm always happy to learn new tricks.
Windbag - the scrutiny of expenses has already been broadened out; see for example this from the Times last month -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/po...446318.ece
Detailed scrutiny of my own modest expenses would show that I eat really, really badly, which will come as no surprise at all to those who know me.
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Glad to see these comments... when taken over three years, split up amongst them... its peanuts...
I like the tippex idea though... I may pass that onto them...
I have to say, theat when I was in a council, I could not be bothered to do expenses.. but then - I'm too damn lazy !
Constant development is the law of life, and a man who always tries to maintain his dogmas in order to appear consistent drives himself into a false position.
Mohandas Gandhi
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My Council apparently didn't like anyone claiming expenses at all, so they spent loads of money buying a system so complicated and user-unfriendly, that we hardly have the time to bother any more.
Edited to remove excessive facetiousness.
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Quote:quote:Originally posted by Curator Kid
My Council apparently didn't like anyone claiming expenses at all, so they spent loads of money buying a system so complicated and user-unfriendly, that we hardly have the time to bother any more.
Edited to remove excessive facetiousness.
Must be the same system as the one just introduced here..... :face-confused:
