Details of MPs' security spending in the Midlands

IPSA takes the security of MPs and their staff extremely seriously. IPSA will always fund the appropriate measures to make sure that MPs and their staff can carry out their jobs safely. We receive recommendations on appropriate measures and standards of security from the police, including the counter terrorism divisions. Standard security measures have been recommended by the police for all MPs and we will fund any enhanced measures required which they recommend.

Since September 2016, there are two ways MPs can obtain the appropriate, recommended security for their homes and offices:

1. Applying for Security Assistance funding from IPSA and being reimbursed for the costs, or

2. Ordering from Chubb Fire and Security, with IPSA paying Chubb directly.

Applying for Security Assistance funding from IPSA

To obtain Security Assistance funding 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). MPs can apply to IPSA for funding for security measures, pay for the costs themselves and will then be reimbursed for those costs upon approval.

Ordering directly through Chubb

In recent months, IPSA has also been working with the House of Commons’ security department and with the police to further streamline MPs’ access to the standard security package. Last year, the House of Commons awarded Chubb Fire and Security a contract for the delivery of the standard security package[1]. The contract is managed by the House and IPSA continues to provide the funding. Where arrangements are made through Chubb, MPs do not need to submit a claim for the cost as IPSA pays Chubb direct on their behalf, with the costs continuing to be met from the Security Assistance budget.

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) 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.

I will take your requests for information in turn.

• What is the total amount spent by MPs in the West Midlands on all security measures available to them in January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017. Please give separate figures for each year.

• What is the total amount spent by MPs in the East Midlands on all security measures available to them in January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017. Please give separate figures for each year.

• Which MP in the West Midlands spent the most on security last year, which MP was this, how much did they spend and what did they spend it on?

• Which MP in the East Midlands spent the most on security last year, which MP was this, how much did they spend and what did they spend it on?

IPSA holds this information.

We have withheld this information under Section 38(1)(b) (Health and safety) of the FOI Act. This section of the Act states that information is exempt if its disclosure under the FOI Act would, or would be likely to, endanger the safety of any individual.

Our publication policy, a copy of which can be found on our website, states that we will not publish any details concerning the Security or Disability budgets. This is to ensure the safety of MPs, their staff and their families. Although we recognise the public interest in transparency surrounding the publishing of this information, there is also a strong public interest in ensuring that as an organisation we are able to protect our service users from threats to their safety. In our opinion, the public interest in protecting the personal safety of MPs outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information

• How many MPs in the West Midlands have claimed for personal attack alarms in the last three years and so far this year (from January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017). Please give separate figures for each year.

• How many MPs in the East Midlands have claimed for personal attack alarms in the last three years and so far this year (from January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017). Please give separate figures for each year.

• How many MPs in the West Midlands have claimed for lone worker devices in the last three years and so far this year (from January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017). Please give separate figures for each year.

• How many MPs in the East Midlands have claimed for lone worker devices in the last three years and so far this year (from January 2014 to December 2014, January 2015 to December 2015, January 2016 to December 2016 and January 2017 to October 2017). Please give separate figures for each year.

MPs can opt to order lone worker devices directly through Chubb (instead of purchasing themselves and applying to IPSA for reimbursement). IPSA then pays Chubb directly for the products purchased, and the maintenance costs. The data that we hold does not distinguish between the products purchased and the maintenance for those products, so we are unable to provide this information.

• How much does a personal attack alarm cost and how much does a lone worker device cost.

The costs of such items depends upon the company from whom the devices are purchased; we do not hold a central log of such prices.

[1] Further information on the Chubb contract can be found in a bulletin sent to MPs on 28 September 2016. Copies of all bulletins sent to MPs and their staff can be found on our website.