Scotland government encourages taxpayer-funded bodies to use a loophole in Treasury rules to furlough public sector staff.

Historic Environment Scotland and Sportscotland are the public bodies that have furloughed workers despite receiving funds from the state government.

Historic Environment Scotland and Sportscotland are the public bodies that have furloughed workers despite receiving funds from the state government.The Scotland government has been accused of manipulating a loophole in the Treasury’s coronavirus furlough scheme to divert cash to public sector workers in Scotland. A spokesperson has stated that the job retention scheme was open to public bodies in Scotland and across the UK, where public funding only forms part of their income stream and where they have experienced a reduction in other funding.

The Scottish Conservatives shadow finance secretary Donald Cameron has said that public bodies accessing the scheme showed that it was acting against the letter of the scheme.