Ministerial meetings with IPSA

Request

  1. On how many occasions Ministers have had meetings with the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

  2. The agenda for each meeting

Response

In addition to already confirming that we hold, and releasing, information on part a) of your request, I can confirm that IPSA holds the information relating to part b) of your request.

As detailed in my previous letter, we required additional time, as is provisioned by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), to consider the public interest arguments surrounding release of agendas and the engagement of the exemption at Section 36 (effective conduct of public affairs) of the FOIA.  Our qualified person undertook a public interest test and considered whether there was a significant likelihood that the release of meeting agendas between IPSA and Ministers would significantly prejudice the future ability to have free and frank exchange of views.

It is possible that disclosure of specific agenda items may inhibit free and frank exchange of views or otherwise be likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs, however, our qualified person believes, disclosure of the agendas sought under your particular request would not be exempt information, in this particular case.  Any similar requests, as has been the case here, will be considered on its own merits.

Annex A details the information we hold in relation to part a) of your request and includes one additional meeting that came to light after our initial response to your request.  Where we hold agendas for meetings, Annex A details the corresponding agenda, which forms the information that we hold relating to part b) of your request.

Annex A - Meetings between IPSA officials and Ministers

DateIPSA AttendeesMinisterial AttendeesAgenda ref
27-Feb-12Compliance OfficerDeputy Chief WhipNo agenda
20-Feb-12Compliance OfficerChief WhipNo agenda
6-Feb-12Compliance OfficerDeputy Leader of the HouseNo agenda
30-Jan-12Compliance OfficerLeader of the HouseNo agenda
24-Jan-12Chief ExecutiveChief Secretary to the TreasuryNo agenda
16-Jan-12Chair and Chief ExecutiveChief Secretary to the Treasury, Leader of the House and the Minister for the Cabinet OfficeNo agenda
15-Dec-11Chief ExecutiveParliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet OfficeNo agenda
08-Dec-11Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseNo agenda
24-Nov-11Visit to IPSA, meeting several members of staffParliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet OfficeNo agenda
10-Nov-11Chief ExecutiveDeputy Chief WhipNo agenda
10-Nov-11Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseNo agenda
26-Oct-11Chief ExecutiveDeputy Leader of the HouseNo agenda
21-Oct-11Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseAG-05
06-Jul-11Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseNo agenda
08-Jun-11ChairLeader of the HouseNo agenda
15-Mar-11ChairLeader of the HouseNo agenda
08-Mar-11Chair, Director of PolicyLeader of the House, Deputy Leader of the HouseNo agenda
13-Jan-11Chief ExecutiveLeader of the House, Deputy Leader of the HouseNo agenda
12-Jan-11Chief ExecutiveDeputy Chief WhipNo agenda
09-Dec-10Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseAG-04
01-Dec-10Chief Executive, Head of Performance and ChangeLeader of the HouseNo agenda
25-Nov-10Chief ExecutiveDeputy Chief WhipNo agenda
11-Nov-10Chief Executive, Head of SecretariatLeader of the House, Deputy Leader of the HouseAG-03
21-Oct-10Chief ExecutiveLeader of the HouseAG-02
01-Sep-10Chief ExecutiveDeputy Chief WhipNo agenda
20-Jul-10Chief ExecutiveLeader of the House, Deputy Leader of the HouseAG-01
20-May-10Chair, Director of PolicyLeader of the HouseNo agenda

AG-01 – Meeting Agenda for 20 July 2010

  1. Liaison group

  2. Relations with MPs

  3. Personal cases

  4. Data security

  5. Leak enquiry

AG-02 – Meeting Agenda for 21 October 2010:

  1. Adam Afriyie MP Bill

  2. Liaison Committee

  3. Date of Publication of Expenses

  4. IPSA Review of Scheme

  5. Forthcoming Announcements/Speeches

  6. Performance indicators

  7. General feelings of doing better/worse?

AG-03 – Meeting Agenda for 11 November 2010

  1. Publication

  2. Consultation / review of the rules

  3. Communication

  4. Liaison Group

  5. Speaker’s Committee for IPSA

AG-04 – Meeting Agenda for 9 December 2010

  1. General assessment

  2. MPs’ pay and pensions

  3. Informal liaison group

  4. Forthcoming announcements / speeches / disclosures

  5. Any other business

AG-05 – Meeting Agenda for 21 October 2011

  1. General situation / impressions

  2. Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA

  3. Committee on Members’ Expenses

  4. Pay and pensions

  5. Personal cases

Ref:
FOI2012-A024
Disclosure:
17 June 2012
Categories:
IPSA - STAFF
Exemptions Applied:
None