Michael Matheson has quit as Health Secretary following a Parliamentary probe into his £11k iPad data roaming bill charges. 

The Health Secretary's resignation, first reported in the Daily Record, comes just hours before he was due to deliver a statement to MSPs on changes to Minimum Unit Pricing. 

Last November, Mr Matheson blamed his teenage sons for the huge bill. He told MSPs they had used his Holyrood iPad as a hotspot on a family holiday in Morocco over the New Year.

After providers EE billed the parliament for £11,000, officials raised the matter with Mr Matheson and he queried the sum and handed in his iPad to be checked.

It emerged he was using an old SIM card that he had been told to get replaced, but he remained unaware of how so much data had been used.

He then came to an agreement with Parliament that he would pay £3000 towards the cost through his office expenses, with Holyrood picking up the rest of the bill. 

It was this £3000 claim on his parliamentary expenses that was published as part of Holyrood’s regular expenses update earlier this month, triggering the row.

He has since paid back the bill in full.

The former minister referred himself to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body "to consider whether they think the matter needs to be investigated further. "

According to reports, the investigation was completed over the weekend and had unearthed new evidence into Mr Matheson’s conduct.

In a statement shared on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, Mr Matheson did not apologise for trying to charge taxpayers for the bill. 

He also said he had not seen a copy of the investigation's findings but that it was in the "best interest of myself and the Government for me to now step down to ensure this does not become a distraction to taking forward the Government's agenda."

He added: "I am enormously grateful to you for appointing me as Health Secretary and for the support that you have given me throughout the last year, it has meant a great deal to both me and my family. Thank you.

"You are assured of my full support from the backbenches, as the MSP for Falkirk West, in driving forward our agenda and delivering an independent Scotland. I wish you every success as Scotland's First Minister."

In his statement, the ex-minister also said there needed to be "major reform" in the NHS "to ensure that we have a sustainable health service able to deliver the best possible care for patients."

In his response, the First Minister said it was "with sadness" that he accepted Mr Matheson's resignation. 

He added: "It is right that, having requested that the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body review your data roaming charges from last year, that you fully engage with that process as it comes to its conclusion.

"I agree that it is therefore best for you to now step down to ensure you are able to give the Parliamentary process the attention it deserves without it becoming a distraction to taking forward the Government's agenda."

The SPCB inquiry was not looking into questions about Mr Matheson’s honesty.

He had already admitted lying to journalists over the scandal. 

In a statement to MSPs, Mr Matheson claimed he only learned about his boys' use of his parliamentary iPad on Thursday 9 November, following days of media scrutiny over the staggering expenses claim lodged with Holyrood.

However, on Monday 13 November, when asked directly if there was "any personal use" of the device during the family holiday, he told reporters: "No”.

When asked if anyone else could have used the device, he, again, said, "No".

He claimed he was trying to protect his family.

His sudden resignation forces Humza Yousaf to reshuffle his cabinet. There has been some speculation he could bring Kate Forbes back into the government. 

It's the second resignation from government in one week. On Tuesday, Elena Whitham resigned as drugs minister citing post-traumatic stress. 

Labour's Dame Jackie Baillie said: “While I welcome the news that Michael Matheson has finally gone, the fact is the First Minister has big questions to answer over his lack of judgement. 

“While our NHS is in crisis, Humza Yousaf has shown his weakness by putting the SNP before our NHS. 

“Now more than ever we need a health minister focused on the crisis at hand. 

“It’s clear that the First Minister has no plan to save our NHS and that shuffling the SNP deckchairs will make no difference - it’s time for change.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and health spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Our health service is on its knees. Patients are waiting an age for treatment and staff are overworked on every shift. They all deserve better than an SNP minister who has lost their trust and could no longer focus on the day job.

“From Humza Yousaf to Michael Matheson, our NHS has known only crisis, soaring vacancies and ever longer waits. Their NHS Recovery Plan has failed."