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| Government's £150,000 T in the Park grant to be reviewed | Government's £150,000 T in the Park grant to be reviewed |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A public spending watchdog has announced it will review the Scottish government's decision to award £150,000 to the organisers of T in the Park. | A public spending watchdog has announced it will review the Scottish government's decision to award £150,000 to the organisers of T in the Park. |
| The controversial decision attracted criticism from opposition MSPs, but the government said the money was to help the festival with relocation costs. | The controversial decision attracted criticism from opposition MSPs, but the government said the money was to help the festival with relocation costs. |
| Audit Scotland said it would examine the grant as part of a wider review. | Audit Scotland said it would examine the grant as part of a wider review. |
| Officials said that if any issues were identified, they would be brought to the public's attention. | Officials said that if any issues were identified, they would be brought to the public's attention. |
| One-off sum | One-off sum |
| It emerged in July that the former SNP adviser Jennifer Dempsie had set up a meeting between Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and T in the Park organisers, DF Concerts. | It emerged in July that the former SNP adviser Jennifer Dempsie had set up a meeting between Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop and T in the Park organisers, DF Concerts. |
| Ms Dempsie was working on a contract for DF Concerts as a festival project manager at the time of the meeting, which took place ahead of the grant being awarded. | Ms Dempsie was working on a contract for DF Concerts as a festival project manager at the time of the meeting, which took place ahead of the grant being awarded. |
| The award of the funding drew accusations of "cronyism" from opposition MSPs. | The award of the funding drew accusations of "cronyism" from opposition MSPs. |
| Ms Hyslop has previously stated that the funding had been approved as a one-off sum to help the festival with the seven-figure operational costs of re-locating from Balado, near Kinross to Strathallan Castle, near Auchterarder. | Ms Hyslop has previously stated that the funding had been approved as a one-off sum to help the festival with the seven-figure operational costs of re-locating from Balado, near Kinross to Strathallan Castle, near Auchterarder. |
| Audit Scotland said they would be investigating the funding because of the public interest and correspondence they had received. | Audit Scotland said they would be investigating the funding because of the public interest and correspondence they had received. |
| Controversy | Controversy |
| Scottish Conservative culture spokeswoman Liz Smith said it was clear MSPs were unhappy about the "lack of detailed information" about how the money was spent. | Scottish Conservative culture spokeswoman Liz Smith said it was clear MSPs were unhappy about the "lack of detailed information" about how the money was spent. |
| She said: "Audit Scotland must now be allowed to pursue matters to provide the level of scrutiny which has been absent from the Scottish Government. | She said: "Audit Scotland must now be allowed to pursue matters to provide the level of scrutiny which has been absent from the Scottish Government. |
| "I think the public will be relieved that Audit Scotland has taken this decision to investigate the controversial issues surrounding the award." | "I think the public will be relieved that Audit Scotland has taken this decision to investigate the controversial issues surrounding the award." |
| Scottish Liberal Democrat culture committee member Liam McArthur MSP said the evidence to support the case for the T in the Park grant was "flimsy at best". | |
| He said the Scottish government had "stonewalled for too long". | |
| Scottish Labour's Business Manager James Kelly said there was an "urgent need for greater scrutiny" of government spending. | Scottish Labour's Business Manager James Kelly said there was an "urgent need for greater scrutiny" of government spending. |
| "People across Scotland will find it difficult to understand why a festival headlined by millionaires needed £150,000 worth of taxpayers' cash", he said. | "People across Scotland will find it difficult to understand why a festival headlined by millionaires needed £150,000 worth of taxpayers' cash", he said. |