Details of MPs who own properties and claim rental costs

Request

Can you please supply me a list of who is Rent Swapping. And your corporate governance views on this considering the first house was subject to expenses. I also wish to have your views on the following: If a MP has a house local then why is he claiming for another residence.

You later clarified this as follows:

  1. It is my understanding that certain MPs have a residence in London which they rent out and they also rent accommodation in London by claiming expenses.

  2. Certain MPs with a residence in London which they rent it out to another MP who claims expenses. And if it is rented out to more than one person (MP).

Therefore in: (a) A list of which MPs falling into this definition (1); and in (b) a list of MPs who have the residences and a list of MPs who rent this same residence as in (2).

Response

IPSA holds some of the information that you request.

IPSA do not hold a list of MPs that own residences in London.  Where a Member has made a claim under the MPs’ Scheme for Business Costs and Expenses (the Scheme) for mortgage interest subsidy, details of these claims are available on our website.  You may view the published information by visiting our publication website.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards maintains and monitors the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which, we understand, includes details of properties that are rented out by Members.  The Register of Members’ Financial Interests may be viewed via this link to the Commissioner’s website.

For information relating to the MPs’ rental arrangements, I can confirm that IPSA has already provided information relating  to this under a separate FOI request (Reference FOI2012-A067a), which included information relating to details of all Members of Parliament who claim for rental accommodation under the MPs’ Scheme for Business Costs and Expenses (the Scheme) and their landlord names.  Where the published landlord name is a Member of Parliament, this is clearly marked.

Our response to FOI request reference FOI2012-A067a is published on our website and may be viewed via this link to the Freedom of Information section of our website.  Therefore, IPSA has taken the view that the information you have requested is exempt under Section 21 of the FOIA (Information already accessible by other means).

We have already provided details relating to the location of rental properties claimed for under the Scheme in a previous Freedom of Information (FOI) request (reference FOI2012-A063a).  Our response to this request may also be viewed via this link to the Freedom of Information section of our website.

The FOIA states that information that is accessible by other means is not subject to release.  As the information you have requested is already available on our website it is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to applicant by other means).

Ref:
FOI2012-A085
Disclosure:
22 November 2012
Categories:
MPs' ACCOMMODATION
Exemptions Applied:
Section 21