Trump government lines questioned

BBC Scotland asked the Scottish Government a series of questions surrounding phone conversations between its chief planner and the chief executive of Aberdeenshire Council over the Trump application.

Those government responses, received in an e-mail three minutes after the start of first minister's question time, stated that members of the Trump team were not in the room with the chief planner.

However, Aberdeenshire Council later said they had been.

The Scottish Government then admitted that members of the Trump organisation were in the room with the chief planner at the start of the first of two phone call conversations, but not when the discussion took place.

Here are the initial questions we asked of the Scottish Government and the responses received.

Question: Who was in the room with the chief planner when he placed the first of the two calls he made to the chief executive of Aberdeenshire council on 4th December to discuss the Trump organisation's planning application for the Menie estate?

Answer: No-one other than the chief planner and David Ferguson, head of planning decisions. The Trump organisation were not in the room.

Question: Was it appropriate for members of the Trump organisation to be in the room during this call?

Answer: The Trump Organisation were not in the room.

Question: Has the chief planner or anyone from the Scottish government apologised to the chief executive of Aberdeenshire council in connection with this matter?

Answer: For what?