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Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Civil servants let off with ‘slaps on the wrist' after being caught watching porn on government laptops
The Scottish Government has admitted there have been six attempts to log on to Pornhub since November alone GOV STAFF RAP Civil servants let off with 'slaps on the wrist' after being caught watching porn on government laptops Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CIVIL servants caught watching porn have been let off with 'slaps on the wrist', we can reveal. Only two have received formal written warnings since 2018 for accessing X-rated websites on their taxpayer-funded laptops. Sign up for the Politics newsletter Sign up 2 The revelation comes after a written question to Nats ministers from Douglas Lumsden Credit: Getty Yet the Scottish Government has admitted there have been six attempts to log on to Pornhub since November alone. Scottish Tory MSP Douglas Lumsden said: 'It's completely inappropriate for publicly funded equipment to be used to access dodgy websites or for other non-work purposes. 'But it's typical of the SNP government's reckless disregard for taxpayers' money that abuses of this sort, whether by ministers or civil servants, result in no more than a slap on the wrist.' The revelation comes following a written question to Nats ministers from Mr Lumsden. In it, SNP chiefs reveal the two formal disciplinary cases against civil servants accessing porn on government devices resulted in two written warnings. One was for six-months, and the other was for a year. But Benjamin Elks, of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Anyone caught using government devices to access pornography should be sacked without hesitation. 'Scottish taxpayers will be rightly disgusted to see what their civil servants have been up to.' Just days ago John Swinney approved civil servants being forced to work in the office at least two days a week in a bid to boost productivity. And it comes after it was confirmed many government officials - most of whom were working from home - spend their time streaming their favourite Netflix shows. SNP balsted by opposition over MORE FERRY FIASCO delays Ministers said the number of attempts to log onto the streaming channel is too high to calculate. The latest revelations follow Health Secretary Michael Matheson having to resign after he racked up an £11,000 bill on his work iPad while abroad on a family holiday - and charged it to the public purse, before he resigned his position and agreed to pay it back. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Any attempt to access, download, display, store or distribute pornographic, racist or other offensive material, or material relating to illegal activities is considered a disciplinary matter, as outlined in the Scottish Government's IT Code of Conduct. Action is taken in line with Scottish Government disciplinary policy where concerns are identified. 'Scottish Government staff can use devices for personal use if this is within their own time, for example during the weekend or a lunchbreak. This is subject to restrictions on certain activities such as running a personal website or attempting to access inappropriate material online.'
Scottish Sun
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Civil servants watch porn & Netflix on SNP government laptops ‘while WFH'
The number of times staff tried to view porn sites has been revealed SOME of Scotland's civil servants have been watching Netflix and accessing porn websites on their official government laptops, new figures reveal Government staff - most of whom were working from home - have streamed their favourite Netflix shows so many times in the past six months that officials say the number of attempts to log onto the streaming channel is too high to calculate. 3 Civil servants have tried to view porn and Netflix on Scottish Government laptops while working from home Credit: Alamy 3 Figures revealed staff were trying to stream shows on Netflix Credit: Alamy Since November, there have been six attempts to access Pornhub, six attempts to access Betfair and four attempts to access Paddy Power on Scottish Government devices, the Mail on Sunday reports. The shocking figures emerged days after a row over a new drive to get Scottish civil servants back into the office. First Minister John Swinney said he approved of making officials work at least two days at their desks to boost productivity. However the plan for an average 40 per cent attendance provoked a backlash from staff working from home. The latest revelations follow Health Secretary Michael Matheson having to resign after he racked up an £11,000 bill on his work iPad while abroad on a family holiday - and charged it to the public purse, before he resigned his position and agreed to pay it back. The latest revelations have been blasted by critics who said staff should be 'sacked' if caught accessing porn on government devices. Benjamin Elks, of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Scottish taxpayers will be rightly disgusted to see what their civil servants have been up to. 'It's clear that these pen-pushers have too much time on their hands as they work at home, failing to deliver for hard-working Scots. 'Anyone caught using government devices to access pornography should be sacked without hesitation.' The new statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, follow public backlash over the number of civil servants still working from home despite the pandemic ending years ago. Netflix to rival ITV's The Fortune Hotel as it launches brand new game show with an eye-watering prize Some workers have been told they only need to attend their offices one day a week, although the official expectation is for them to attend for two. The work from home culture has had a major impact on the vitality of town centres, with many shops, bars and restaurants reliant on trade from office workers. A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'Any attempt to access, download, display, store or distribute pornographic, racist or other offensive material, or material relating to illegal activities is considered a disciplinary matter, as outlined in the Scottish Government's IT Code of Conduct. 'Action is taken in line with Scottish Government disciplinary policy where concerns are identified. 'Scottish Government staff can use devices for personal use if this is within their own time, for example during the weekend or a lunch break. 'This is subject to restrictions on certain activities such as running a personal website or attempting to access inappropriate material online. 'The Scottish Government has in place recruitment and workforce controls to reduce its workforce size.'
