Information about MPs' staffing
Request
“I wonder if you can assist, I have been reviewing the staff costs of various MPs using your website.
Your "Publication Policy - MPs' Business Costs and Expenses" (July 2018) Section B para 12 states that:-
"The following information concerning MPs' staff members on the IPSA payroll:
a. Their job title
b. Whether they are full time or part time
c. When they vacated their post (where applicable)
d. For connected parties only, the salary received (within a £5,000 bracket)
e. For connected parties only, the name of the staff member."
Where can I obtain any/all of this information?
I have checked the Payroll report for both Sir Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson for 2020-2021, but the only details for both MPs, for Payroll, appears to be "Short Description" which is "Total Staffing budget payroll costs for the 2020-21 year". Am I looking in the wrong place?
Response
I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request.
Please note that IPSA only holds information about financial support and staffing costs relating to MPs’ parliamentary functions, as for any other MP, within the rules set out in the Scheme of MPs' Business Costs and Expenses ('the Scheme'). The Office of the Prime Minister is part of the Cabinet Office which has its own procedure for making a freedom of information request. Funding for the Leader of the Opposition’s office is provided through the House of Commons Members Vote; the UK Parliament website has further information.
To access the information you have requested, select the MP from the A-Z listed published at Search MP by name. Links to the homepages for the MPs you have asked about are
On the MPs’ home page, go to the ‘Other financial information’ section and click on the year required to expand and view options.
Staffing costs funded by IPSA are listed under ‘Other staff information’ where you will find a table setting out:
a. Their job title
b. Whether they are full time or part time
c. When they vacated their post (where applicable)
Please note that we only publish whether a post was occupied for a full year or part of a year; actual employment dates are not disclosed.
For information about:
d. For connected parties only, the salary received (within a £5,000 bracket)
e. For connected parties only, the name of the staff member
Select ‘Connected party’ from the ‘Other financial information’ section.
As the information you have requested is already available on our website, it is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to applicant by other means).
This means that we do not need to provide you with copies of the information you have asked for.
Is this page helpful?
- Ref:
- RFI-202207-05
- Disclosure:
- 15 July 2022
- Categories:
- MPs' STAFFING
- Exemptions Applied:
- Section 21