MPs' attendance

Request

Recently, the following MPs returned from holidays abroad, or from UK holidays, to attend an emergency parliamentary debate, held today, which followed an outbreak of serious unrest in various English towns and cities.

Steve Williams MP, Heidi Alexander MP, David Cameron MP, George Osborne MP, Nick Clegg MP, Ed Miliband MP, Theresa May MP

Please provide a list of all MPs, which includes the six mentioned above, who were asked or compelled to return early from holidays, or who returned from holiday of their own accord, to attend today's debate.

On the list, indicate the names of all MPs who agreed to return when asked or compelled, or who returned of their own accord, and also indicate the names of any MPs who refused to return, and remained on holiday. Please state the reason that was given for not returning.

Please also indicate the names of any MPs who enquired about reimbursement of any costs, and / or the names of any MPs who made their return conditional upon being reimbursed any costs, such as the cost of their travel.

Response

IPSA is an independent authority responsible for regulating and reimbursing MPs’ expenses and paying their salaries and has neither remit relating to, nor involvement in, decisions regarding the early return of Members of Parliament to attend the House. Therefore, we do not hold information on which MPs, if any, were compelled or asked to return to the House, which MPs returned of their own accord and which MPs refused to return. Nor do we hold information on any reasons given for not returning.

The House of Commons may hold the information you are seeking. If you have not already done so, then you may wish to write to the Freedom of Information Officer at: House of Commons, Department of Resources, 7 Millbank, Westminster, SW1A 0AA.

Alternatively, you can send an email to: foicommons@parliament.uk.

You also requested ‘the names of any MPs who enquired about reimbursement of any costs, and/or the names of any MPs who made their return conditional upon being reimbursed any costs, such as the cost of their travel’.

IPSA received a number of enquiries regarding the Thursday 11 August recall from some MPs, some of their staff members and other officials in Parliament and the Civil Service on behalf of MPs. Not all of these calls were noted or recorded.

We do not hold any records of any MP stating that their return was conditional upon being reimbursed for the costs incurred.

Please see Annex A below for a list of the MPs who were recorded as having contacted IPSA by telephone or via e-mail with queries relating to the recall of Parliament on Thursday 11 August. This list includes contact made by the MP or by a member of staff on his or her behalf. It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive and that the range of queries included: whether necessary costs incurred as a result of the recall would be reimbursed and/or the process for claiming reimbursement.   

You may wish to know that claims made by MPs are routinely published on the IPSA website. In due course, this will include any claims relating to the recall of Parliament on Thursday 11 August.

Annex A - List of MPs (or offices on their behalf) that enquired about the recall of Parliament on Thursday 11 August 2011.

  • Adam Holloway

  • Alistair Darling

  • Amber Rudd

  • Andrew Jones

  • Andrew Murrison

  • Andrew Selous

  • Bill Wiggin

  • Charles Walker

  • Chuka Umunna

  • Conor Burns

  • Dan Byles

  • David Lidington

  • Desmond Swayne

  • Dominic Grieve

  • Douglas Alexander

  • Edward Balls

  • Eric Ollerenshaw

  • Graham Evans

  • Guto Bebb

  • Hilary Benn

  • Ian Mearns

  • James Clappison

  • Jim Sheridan

  • John McDonnell

  • Julian Brazier

  • Julian Huppert

  • Liam Byrne

  • Mark Menzies

  • Mike Freer

  • Nick Boles

  • Nicky Morgan

  • Pauline Latham

  • Peter Hain

  • Richard Bacon

  • Robert Smith

  • Robert Walter

  • Ronnie Campbell

  • Sheryll Murray

  • Simon Kirby

  • Stewart Hosie

Ref:
FOI2011-079
Disclosure:
11 September 2011
Categories:
PARLIAMENTARY RECALL
Exemptions Applied:
None