Canny

There's a bit of synthetic anger in Scotland's Sunday Mail, after finding out through FoI requests that BBC Scotland spent  £1,172,729 on taxis over the last two years.  There's no allegation of abuse of the system, just surprise that, five years after introducing a centralised booking system, yearly bills seem stuck at around £500k.

The Mail does point out, however, that the figure doesn't include journeys not booked centrally but claimed. Which gives me a chance to hark back to this FoI answer, about the top 5 spenders in Scotland, excluding head honcho Ken McQuarrie.

The Head of Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski, who's moved the station's HQ to Inverness (where he lives) comes first. His 2009/10 discloures show 50 nights at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow, 12 nights at other hotels in the city, 76 rail fares, 3 flights and 57 taxis.

Head of Programmes, Ms Donalda McKinnon, shows 61 single flights between London and Glasgow, 63 cabs centrally booked and 11 re-claimed. It's a hard life on the road, so there are "subsistence" claims for meals at The Real Greek, Romano's, Davy's Wine Bar, an unnamed deli, and Nando's.  One bargain seems to be a group dinner (2 attending) described as "Government Meal with the DG" at £41.42. 

Expenses for Bruce Malcolm, Chief Operating Office, I'm afraid, show a slight blame culture. There are two claims for rail/tube at £32 - one in April which carries the legend  "PA did not prebook Heathrow Express", and then one in May "PA forgot to pre-book tickets".   I'm cowering, if you're not.  Bruce lives both high and low in London.  Evening meal at "The Stick and Bowl" for £6 is good value. An unnamed venue costs £32.   Last September, Bruce managed a "group meal after 11 hours duty" for three attendees at Osteria Piero in Glasgow, for £101.90.  The right to a nice meal after a long shift will appeal to many around the BBC who will be looking up the expenses rules again.