Information on IPSA

Request

  1. Could you tell me who elected this IPSA body please?

  2. How many are employed and who makes decisions for pay awards to M.P.,s?

  3. You were brought into existence to monitor M.P.,s expense claims so who gave you the right to sanction such huge pay awards?.....Parliament?

  4. Why is there no ' body' to sanction the same pay awards to nurses? Parliament did not create a body to sanction such pay awards to nurses, why not?

  5. The above makes me believe IPSA has been elected by M.P.,s, is this true?

As far as our wonderful nurses are concerned and their dedicated LONG HOURS, do not tell me the unions could do the same as IPSA. it is not the unions: because if the unions claimed for a similar pay award as you have sanctioned for parliament, the government would reject it out of hand!

  1. So, my question to you is, why do you allow excessive and inflationary pay awards to parliament while there is no such organisation for the nurses?

  2. If you are monitoring M.P.,s and their expenses, why have so many ' got away ' with it since the scandal broke in 2009 ?

  3. Can you prove that all guilty M.P.,s of fiddling the system have paid every penny back they stole from the tax payer?


Response

I will take your questions in turn.

  • Could you tell me who elected this IPSA body please?

  • How many are employed and who makes decisions for pay awards to M.P.,s?

As you may be aware, IPSA consists of a Board, and executive staff. IPSA’s Board is responsible for all decisions relating to MPs’ pay and pensions, alongside their business costs and expenses. IPSA’s executive staff carry out the day-to-day administrative functions, including validating and paying MPs’ claims for business costs and expenses and paying the salaries and pensions of MPs and their staff.

As of the date of your request, 45 individuals were employed by IPSA.

The statutory process for the appointment of Board members was established in Schedule 1 of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. I have attached a copy of Schedule 1 for your reference. Information on the most recent appointment of members to IPSA’s Board is detailed in an Explanatory Memorandum prepared by the House of Commons vote office. Please also find attached a copy of that memorandum.

IPSA’s executive staff members are appointed on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition. For most positions, IPSA requires the submission of a CV, followed by a face-to-face interview with the recruiting manager and an independent panel member.  For more senior roles, depending on the level, the selection process may also include a range of psychometric tests, a competency based interview and a presentation made to the CEO, a member of the IPSA board and an independent panel member.

  • You were brought into existence to monitor M.P.,s expense claims so who gave you the right to sanction such huge pay awards?.....Parliament?

The Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 and the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 grant IPSA the power to make and implement determinations on pay and pension benefits without further reference to Parliament.

Our role is to take a view on what is in the public interest. Some decisions we make may not be popular with MPs, or with the public. But the principle behind the legislation, that these matters should be no longer be determined by MPs, is fundamental and is not open to compromise.

  • Why is there no ' body' to sanction the same pay awards to nurses? Parliament did not create a body to sanction such pay awards to nurses, why not?

IPSA does not hold this information.

  • The above makes me believe IPSA has been elected by M.P.,s, is this true?

IPSA is not elected by MPs. You can find more information on the appointment of Board members in the information referred to earlier, and attached.

  • So, my question to you is, why do you allow excessive and inflationary pay awards to parliament while there is no such organisation for the nurses?

IPSA’s role is to regulate the expenses system and administer and pay MPs’ expenses and their salaries. You can read the full report on MPs’ pay and pensions on our website, via the following link: http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/payandpensions/Pages/default.aspx

  • If you are monitoring M.P.,s and their expenses, why have so many ' got away ' with it since the scandal broke in 2009 ?

  • Can you prove that all guilty M.P.,s of fiddling the system have paid every penny back they stole from the tax payer?

IPSA is only responsible for business cost and expense claims made by MPs since May 2010. Claims made prior to 2010 were the responsibility of the House of Commons. Allegations that an MP received an amount (prior to 2010) that he or she should not have received fall under the remit of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. You can find out more about the Commissioner on her website, via the following link: http://www.parliament.uk/pcs.

Since 2010, allegations that an amount was paid to an MP that shouldn’t have been under the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses are investigated by the Compliance Officer for IPSA. You can find out more about the Compliance Officer on his website, via the following address: http://www.parliamentarycompliance.org.uk.

Ref:
F1415-083
Disclosure:
10 November 2014
Categories:
IPSA - BOARDIPSA - OPERATIONSIPSA - STAFF
Exemptions Applied:
None