By Steve Bargeton, political editor

ALMOST ONE in five MSPs employ a member of their own family on their Holyrood payroll at the taxpayers’ expense.

A register published for the first time yesterday lists the relatives of 25 MSPs—11 SNP, 11 Labour, two Tories, and one Liberal Democrat.

The list includes husbands, wives, sons, daughters and even in-laws.

MSPs are allowed to claim up to £56,650 a year to employ staff, but the register does not give details of relative’s salaries for reasons of confidentiality.

One MSP, Labour’s Michael McMahon, employs two family members—his wife as a parliamentary assistant and his daughter as a researcher.

The only cabinet minister to appear on the register is deputy first minister and health secretary Nicola Sturgeon, who employs her mother as a constituency assistant.

Enterprise minister Jim Mather and communities minister Stewart Maxwell employ their wives, according to the register.

Angus SNP MSP Andrew Welsh employs his nephew as a researcher and Central Fife SNP MSP Tricia Marwick employs her son as a part-time constituency assistant.

Dunfermline East Labour MSP Helen Eadie employs her husband as an office manager.

Mid Scotland and Fife Tory MSP Ted Brocklebank employs his sister as his regional secretary.

Dunfermline West Lib Dem MSP Jim Tolson employs his wife as a researcher/assistant.