Labour claim £54,000 unaccounted for in Scottish Government team’s £468,000 week at US Ryder Cup

The Scottish Government has been urged to “come clean” over £54,000 spent during a trip to the Ryder Cup in Chicago, details of which have not been made publicly available.

A “Team Scotland” delegation, including First Minister Alex Salmond and Sports Minister Shona Robison, racked up a total bill to the taxpayer of £468,580 during the week-long trip to the US.

Although details of how more than £414,000 was spent, including £80,000 on food and drink, have been disclosed, the Scottish Government has failed to reveal how the remainder was spent.

Labour’s business manager Paul Martin said: “Alex Salmond should come clean about how he spent more than £50,000 of taxpayers’ money.

“In a time when every family is struggling to pay gas and electricity bills, to put food on the table and to try to have as good a Christmas as they can, the idea that the First Minister can spend tens of thousands of pounds on himself and refuse to account for it is frankly repulsive.”

Ministers have insisted the visit would help the 2014 Ryder Cup, which is being held at Gleneagles, generate a massive boost for the Scottish economy.