Aberdeenshire West MSP reprimanded over failure to declare registered business interests

A North East Tory MSP has been admonished by Holyrood's Standards Committee for failing to register interests before he asked questions in parliament.

Alexander Burnett failed to declare registered business interests for two written questions he had submitted to the Scottish Parliament in February.

The Aberdeenshire West MSP is the director and chairman of a property development and letting company in Banchory, the owner of what he describes as a “property leasing and forestry undertaking” there and owns an estate with a market value of about £10 million.

Members of the Standards, Procedure and Public Appointments Committee were told Mr Burnett has “taken full responsibility for the error, which occurred as a result of a new member of staff having not attended training”.

Convener Claire Adamson said the committee had admonished the MSP for his “failure to make a declaration of a registered financial interest when giving notice of two parliamentary questions”.

She said MSPs on the committee believe “the declaration of registered interests in any matter before taking part in proceedings of the Parliament relating to that matter represents an important aspect of parliamentary transparency and accountability”.

But she also stated: “The committee does not consider that the breach justifies the imposition of sanctions on Alexander Burnett on this occasion."