Claims for utility bills by Pat McFadden, MP

Request

“I wish to request, under the Freedom of Information Act, that you confirm whether:

1. The £463.89 claimed under ‘Utility costs’ in ‘Accommodation’ in the financial year 2021/2022 for Pat McFadden is billable to

a) Member’s constituency home or

b) Member’s London accommodation?”

Response

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request.

The £463.89 claimed under ‘Utility Costs’ was billable to the MP’s constituency address.

MPs may claim utility costs for property registered with us. MPs who stay in rented accommodation can claim for running costs, including utility bills, subject to an overall budget cap. They cannot claim for bills for their private homes, or for things like mortgage payments.

The rules governing what MPs may claim for are set out in The Scheme of MPs' Staffing and Business Costs (the Scheme).

Chapter 4 of the Scheme details the costs which may be claimed under Accommodation Expenditure. Rules for claiming costs associated with constituency offices are set out in Chapter 6.

You may also find some of our recent blog posts useful for further information on what MPs can claim for, and why:

Ref:
RFI-202208-07
Disclosure:
23 September 2022
Categories:
GENERAL EXPENSES ENQUIRY
Exemptions Applied: