Number of MPs staff on casual contracts by political party

IPSA holds the information that you request.

As of the 8 February 2019 there were 129 individuals active on IPSA’s payroll contracted on an hourly rate. This figure includes any staff whose employment conditions have fulfilled the conditions set out in chapter 7 of the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’). 

I can confirm that 2 MPs in the North Eastern Region of England employ 3 staff on casual contracts. In view of the low figures, we believe this information to be exempt from disclosure under s.40 – Personal Information.

Section 40

Information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person is ‘personal data’, as defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Section 40(2) of the FOIA provides that personal information is exempt information if:

(a) it constitutes personal data; and

(b) the condition set out in s. 40(3A)(a) of FOIA is satisfied, namely that disclosure to a member of the public would contravene any of the data protection principles in the GDPR.

Because the MPs in question employ very few members of staff, we believe that the likelihood exists that staff members on temporary contracts may be identified either from this information alone, or in combination with other available information.

In our view (a) is therefore satisfied because the information sought by you relates to an identifiable, living individual, and (b) is also satisfied because disclosure would breach the first data protection principle in Article 5(1) (a) of the GDPR, which requires that personal information is processed fairly, lawfully and in a transparent manner; processing includes disclosure. In relation to fairness, IPSA is required to process personal data in a manner in which people, including MPs and their staff, would reasonably expect.

The exemption from the duty to disclose personal data where to do so would breach one of the general data protection principles is an absolute exemption so the public interest test does not apply.

This concludes our response to your request.