MPs who requested increase in staffing budgets

IPSA holds the information that you request.

In responding to your request, we have assumed that you are referring to applications made to the IPSA Contingency Panel for contingency funding where expenditure, necessarily incurred and covered by the Staffing Expenditure budget rules in the Scheme, would exceed the financial limit of the Staffing Expenditure budget for 2013-14.

As you may be aware, the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’), which is available on our website, states that:

10.11 Where an MP necessarily incurs expenditure or liability for expenditure related to the performance of the MP's parliamentary functions which is not covered by any of the budgets set out in this Scheme or, if it is covered by one or more of those budgets, it exceeds any financial limit that may apply, the MP may apply to IPSA to be reimbursed on an exceptional basis in respect of that expenditure.

An MP can submit an application for contingency funding to the IPSA Contingency Panel, which meets regularly to consider applications and will advise the applicant of their decision accordingly.  IPSA may decide to accept or reject an application for a contingency payment at its sole discretion, taking into account a number of factors, which are set out at paragraph 10.12 of the Scheme.  Such applications, if approved, result in an uplift to the relevant budget and claims can then be made up to the new budget limit.

The names of Members of Parliaments who have made applications for contingency funding for their staffing budgets for the financial year 2013/14 are attached in Annex A.  That an application for contingency funding has been made does not in any way imply a budgetary increase has been approved and allocated.  Following a review and increase in Staffing Expenditure budgets, IPSA has taken the decision that, other than where previously agreed commitments remain in place from 2012-2013, it will not approve any further contingency uplifts on the sole basis of funding increased staff to deal with casework in an MP’s office or to replace other local public sector advice that may have had funding withdrawn. 

Annex A

Name of MP

• David Lammy

• Barry Gardiner

• Stella Creasy

• Meg Hillier

• Sadiq Khan

• Rushanara Ali

• Jim Shannon

• Graham Stuart

• Pat Glass

• Kevan Jones