Age of senior staff in MPs' offices

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request. As set out overleaf, some information is being withheld. The information we are able to provide is set out in the tables here.

As you can see, we have amalgamated some of the figures for staff aged 21, 22 or 23. We believe that the low numbers in these categories increase the likelihood that individual members of staff could be identified.

This information is, therefore, subject to a Refusal Notice under s 40 of the FOIA (Personal Information) and in accordance with Section C of IPSA’s Publication Policy, which can be found at: Publication Policy April 2022 (ctfassets.net). Further information about the s.40 exemption is in the following paragraphs.

Sections 40(2) and 40(3A)(a)

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.

Personal information about MPs’ staff, such as their age, is their personal data. Because the staff in question are identifiable or likely to be identifiable from very low numbers we believe that the likelihood exists that MPs’ staff members 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.

As 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 the public interest test does not apply.