The UK’s national statistician has been criticised after it emerged he decided to fly from London to Glasgow for the COP26 climate change summit.
Sir Ian Diamond, a former principal of Aberdeen University, took a flight north to attend the conference on November 1 last year and then travelled by back to London by plane the following day.
The trip cost taxpayers almost £900 in expenses, including £475 on flights and £299 on accommodation and meals.
Urgent review
Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman questioned the decision and urged the UK Statistics Authority to “urgently” review its travel policy to “recognise that there is a global climate emergency”.
Details of the air travel have emerged as it was confirmed Sir Ian has still not responded to Aberdeen University’s request for him to return £119,000 from his “golden goodbye”.
Two years have now passed since the ancient institution asked him to give the money back, following two investigations by regulators into his pay-off.
Sir Ian only triggered his year-long notice period at the moment he was succeeded by George Boyne in the summer of 2018, despite announcing his plans to retire from Aberdeen University a year earlier.
Investigations
The university was ordered to return £119,000 of its grant after probes by the Scottish Funding Council and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator concluded the university needlessly “incurred the cost of two principals” over a financial year.
Aberdeen University formally asked Sir Ian to repay £119,000, but he has never responded.
After leaving the north-east, Sir Ian was appointed by The Queen to be the country’s new National Statistician, a role which involves being the chief executive of the UK Statistics Authority, as well as permanent secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the head of the Government Statistical Service.
COP26 was hailed as the planet’s “last chance” to avert a climate catastrophe, with world leaders agreeing new targets to cut emissions and use of fossil fuels.
The aviation industry is thought to account for about 5% of global warming.
Ms Chapman, who was rector of Aberdeen University while Sir Ian was principal, questioned the decision to fly from London to Glasgow.
“Public officials should be setting an example when it comes to using sustainable transport, particularly when it involves travelling to the global climate summit,” she said.
“Clearly, for some longer journeys, air travel may be unavoidable but that certainly isn’t the case when travelling between London and Glasgow.
“I’d urge Sir Ian, and the UK statistics authority, to update their travel policy urgently to recognise that there is a global climate emergency.”
‘Only practical way’
A spokesman for the Office for National Statistics said: “We try to avoid the use of air travel whenever possible.
“On this occasion it was the only practical way to enable the National Statistician to fulfil an official engagement at the COP26 summit and meet other pressing responsibilities.”
On Sir Ian’s pay-off, an Aberdeen University spokeswoman said it has “regretfully had to consider the matter closed”.