Connected party employed by Emma Lewell-Buck

Request

Employment of parliamentary assistant (PA) Mr S Buck for Emma Lewell Buck MP for South Shields.

Please could you provide the following information:

How long has the Mr Buck been in the job?

What are Mr Buck''s responsibilities?

What qualifications does Mr Buck have for the job?

Was the role advertised?

If so, when and where was it advertised and how many people applied for the position?

What dates did interviews take place?

Were unsuccessful applicants notified?

What did the selection process entail?


Response

Under the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’), Staffing Expenditure may be claimed to meet the cost incurred in the provision of staff to assist with the performance of an MP’s parliamentary functions. It may only be claimed for the salary of one employee who is a connected party (unless an MP employed more than one connected party prior to 7 May 2010).

Following the end of each financial year, we publish information on each MP’s annual expenditure, which includes information on the employment of any connected parties. You can find this information on our website at the following address: http://www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk/AnnualisedData.aspx.

Mr Buck began employment as a Parliamentary Assistant on 10 November 2015. You can find typical responsibilities for different roles, including that of a Parliamentary Assistant, on our website at the following address: http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/Job%20Description/Documents/MP%20staff%20JDs%20spreadsheet%2015%20-%2016.pdf/

Although the salaries of staff members are paid by IPSA, MPs remain the legal employer of their staff members, and are responsible for most employment arrangements (including the arrangements necessary for employing individuals for vacant roles). As such, the remaining information that you have requested is not held by IPSA. You may wish to contact the MP directly, however you should be aware that MPs as individuals are not subject to the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

Ref:
CAS-44974
Disclosure:
19 April 2016
Categories:
MPs' STAFFINGMPs' CONNECTED PARTIES
Exemptions Applied:
None