Water boss to keep air mile perks
A GLOBETROTTING water boss who was criticised for taking £100,000 worth of business trip flights will now be allowed to cash in on any air miles he clocked up.
A policy by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) means its chief executive Alan Sutherland won’t have to donate any of the perks to charity.
WICS, a regulator funded by Scottish Water, recently backed inflation-busting rises to bills until 2027.
Sutherland, who earns about £165,000 a year, said he understood the financial difficulties faced by customers but said the pandemic underlined the importance of a high quality water system.
The Daily Record revealed criticism of the CEO in the summer over 70 flights taken between 2015 and March this year.
Business trips included Paris, Milan, Delhi, Tirana, Philadelphia, Sydney, Mexico City and Adelaide.
Other locations included Tokyo, Auckland, Doha and Cape Town.
The flight bill came to £96,000 and included trips from Edinburgh to London, even though there is a railway service between the cities.
Sutherland’s flights raised questions about whether he accrued air miles or points through frequent flyer schemes which bring benefits such as cheaper flights and upgrades to first class.
The commission told Labour MSP Jackie Baillie’s office in September that its travel policy had not “historically” included conditions relating to the personal use of air miles.
However, it confirmed a policy update, stating it is “difficult to reduce future costs” using air miles or points obtained on official business “and therefore permits the personal use of any such benefits”.
Baillie said the agency “seems to have totally lost the plot.”
The Scottish Government has not issued guidance to its agencies on the use of air loyalty schemes by officials, but said air miles “may be donated to a charity of the travel operator’s choice” for its own staff.