First class travel claimed by MPs

Request

I would like to know how many mps booked in expenses for first class rail travel and do they have to provide proof of purchase of a ticket, and what was the overall cost of mps rail travel.


Response

IPSA holds the information that you request.

All claims made under the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (the Scheme) must be supported by the evidence requirements set by IPSA.  The evidence requirements for claims for public transport, including rail, are:

  • an original ticket and/or receipt showing:

    • The date of travel

    • The cost of ticket

    • The origin and destination of the journey

MPs are required to enter the class of travel when they complete claims for travel expenses.  This information is available in the data we publish on our website, which you may be viewed via this link to our publication website.  Details of claims for expenses are published in a two month cycle, three months in arrears. The next publication date for expense claims is Thursday 10 January 2013.

We publish the overall cost of MPs’ travel as part of the published annualised data.  The annualised data for both the 2010/11 and 2011/12 financial years are available via this link to the annualised data section of our website.

The FOIA states that information that is accessible by other means is not subject to release.  Therefore, 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-A089
Disclosure:
16 November 2012
Categories:
MPs' TRAVEL
Exemptions Applied:
Section 21