Amount spent by MPs on Security Assistance

Security Assistance may be claimed under the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’) for additional security measures that are necessary to enable the MP’s parliamentary functions to be undertaken.

IPSA takes the security of MPs very seriously. We wrote to all MPs earlier this year to inform them of the security support available, which includes security at their home and at constituency offices.

Claims for Security Assistance do not follow the same claims validation process utilised for most other claims made under the Scheme. Instead there is an application process outlined in the security options package issued by IPSA, which were prepared by security experts in the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI).

Due to the sensitive nature of claims for Security Assistance, details of individual claims are not published. However, at the end of each financial year we publish the total figure for claims made during the year. You can find this information on our website via this link.

MPs may still choose to claim routine security costs from their standard budgets (eg. Office Costs Expenditure) as a standard claim. Details of such claims would be published on our website under the relevant expense type. The information contained within this response below relates to all claims made for security, including those made under the Security Assistance budget and any other available budget.

Taking your requests for information in turn:

• How much has been spent on additional security measures for MPs at their homes and offices since the murder of MP Jo Cox in June 2016.

Between 16 June 2016 and 31 August 2016, £224,741.44 was spent by MPs on Security Assistance.

• How much was spent on additional security measures for MPs at their homes and offices in the months from 1 January 2016 until 15 June 2016?

Between 1 January 2016 and 15 June 2016, £280,902.99 was spent by MPs on Security Assistance.

• How much was spent on additional security measures for MPs at their homes and offices in the whole of 2015?

During the 2015 calendar year, £347,771.99 was spent by MPs on Security Assistance.

CORRECTION:

The original response to this request incorrectly stated: "the information contained within this response below relates only to claims made under the Security Assistance budget." This was incorrect. The figures contained within the response relate to claims made under the Security Assistance budget and any claims for security costs made from standard budgets (eg. Office Costs Expenditure).