Copies of documents relating to the office set up of Anum Qaisar-Javed, MP

Request

Under FOI, please provide me with a copy of the tenancy agreement held for Anum Qaisar-Javed's constituency office in Airdrie and/or Shotts?

I would also ask you to provide a copy of any/all electronic communication from Anum Qaisar-Javed and IPSA concerning the set-up of her office following her appointment as the MP for Airdrie and Shotts.

I appreciate some information, such as names for example, may be redacted. Where a redaction is made I would be grateful if you could please cite the exemption.

Clarified as: Anything that regards the setting up of her office, including any communication between IPSA and the MP, and her team, as well as any forms of expenditure incurred with regards to the set- up and running of the MP's office.


Response

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request, however, at the time of your request, the process of setting up the MP’s office was not yet complete. The lease was still being finalised which needed to be done before the property could be registered with IPSA. The MP has not yet submitted any claims relating to this process.

I attach copies of communications between IPSA and the MP on this subject.

A small amount of information has been redacted either because it does not fall within the scope of this request or because it is subject to a Refusal Notice under section 40 of the FOIA.

Sections 40(2) and 40(3A)(a) – personal data

This exemption applies to information which IPSA considers to be personal data within the meaning of Article 4(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (UK GDPR) which states:

"personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person ("data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly

IPSA considered that the following are personal data within this definition:

  • name of current and former IPSA staff and their emails

  • name and email address of MP staff

We then considered whether disclosure of this personal data would breach any of the Principles relating to the processing of personal data in the UK GDPR.

The relevant principle falls at Article 5(1)(a),

Personal data shall be:

a. Processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject

As IPSA was unable to find a lawful basis on which it could rely, within Article 6 of the UK GDPR, it therefore finds that the information is exempt under section 40.

Ref:
RFI-202107-01
Disclosure:
1 September 2021
Categories:
MPs' OFFICE COSTSCORRESPONDENCEMPs' ACCOMMODATION
Exemptions Applied:
Section 40