Decision

Summary of business appointment applications - Marco Biagi

Published 2 August 2016

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Marco Biagi left his role as Minister for Local Government & Community Empowerment in the Scottish Government in May 2016.

1. Senior Counsel, Message Matters

Mr Biagi sought the Committee’s advice about a part-time, paid appointment with Message Matters, a public relations and public affairs company.

The Committee noted that Mr Biagi’s role would involve providing political analysis, writing a regular public blog hosted on the company website and promoting Message Matters to potential clients, both generally and through specific pitches.

When considering the application the Committee took into account that Message Matters is not an organisation with which Mr Biagi had any contact whilst a Minister and it is not an organisation with a relationship with the Scottish Government.

The Committee advised Mr Biagi that it could see no reason why he should not take up this role, subject to the following conditions:

  • He should not draw on (disclose or use for the benefit of himself or the organisation to which this advice refers) any privileged information available to him from his time in ministerial office; and

  • For two years from his last day in ministerial office he should not become personally involved in lobbying the Scottish Government on behalf of Message Matters, its partners or its clients or make use, directly or indirectly, of his contacts in Government and/or Crown service to influence policy or secure business on behalf of Message Matters.

The Committee wrote its advice letter to Mr Biagi in June 2016 and the appointment was taken up in July 2016.

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