Total amounts spent on postal services by each MP

I can confirm that IPSA publishes details of all expenses claimed by MPs, including postal services, on its website. The information you have requested is therefore exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to applicant by other means) because the information can be searched and located through the IPSA publication website.

Information relating to claims processed in October and November 2011 will be published in the next publication cycle on Thursday 1 March 2012. Details of any expense claims submitted after that will be published every two months thereafter. Any claims that IPSA has not approved for reimbursement will also be published on those dates. Therefore, IPSA has taken the view that the information you have requested is exempt under Section 22(1) of the FOIA (Information intended for future publication).

We have considered whether the public interest in releasing the information outweighs the application of the exemption. It is our opinion that the public interest is best served by publishing the information at set dates, rather than on an ad hoc basis, as this way a clear and complete set of information is published, which should also avoid causing confusion. It is for these stated reasons that the application of the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.