The perks of home working - Sue Webber

You get the benefit of significantly higher pay for doing the same job as your colleagues in the south while reaping the reward of significantly lower rates of income tax.

Admittedly it’s a small number, but for the 31 civil servants in the top three pay bands who do not live in Scotland ─ seven of them on around £100,000 a year ─ it’s a benefit worth the price of a family holiday every year.

OK, most Scottish civil servants work in Scotland and are taxed here, but new figures obtained by my colleague Jamie Greene MSP, show as of six months ago that three per cent of the staff are in this lucky position and it’s a fair assumption the number enjoying the staggering cross-border benefit will not have changed much.

And if you were in that position, why would you give it up? If working from home meant you didn’t need to travel or live out of a suitcase during the week, you’d be daft to volunteer to take the hit.

It should be a source of embarrassment, but with £11,000 iPad bills and official limousines for family days out at the football brushed aside, there is very little which causes the SNP government much discomfort. Camper vans excepted.

Maybe they should go the whole hog are relocate government departments to Jersey, Monaco or Dubai. And charge the removal expenses to the taxpayer as well, no doubt.