Gemma White QC'S Report

Date published: 11 July 2019

IPSA welcomes Gemma White QC’s report into bullying and harassment of MPs’ staff and will carefully consider the recommendations. We take good employment practice and wellbeing in the workplace very seriously and we condemn bullying and harassment.

IPSA does not employ the staff of MPs as they are employed by the MPs themselves. We support MPs and staff by providing funding for salaries and model contracts of employment. IPSA has made positive changes to improve working conditions for MPs and their staff since its creation in 2010.

IPSA has developed policies to support work-life balance and has led a number of initiatives in conjunction with the House of Commons including the review and update of standard contracts (2015), review of MP staffing salaries (2016), review of MP staffing (2016/17), creation of guidance documents regarding employment terms and conditions (2017) and more recently the creation of a HR guidebook published in 2019.

IPSA adopted the UK Parliament Behaviour Code as the guideline for interactions between IPSA and parliamentary staff, and encourages respect and professionalism among parliamentary colleagues. IPSA recognises the valuable role that MPs and staff members perform and will work with the House of Commons and other agencies to promote excellent working conditions within the parliamentary community.

For more details contact IPSA's Press Office (020 7811 6462) or communications@theipsa.org.uk

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Notes to Editors:

IPSA was created in 2009 by the Parliamentary Standards Act. The Act was amended in 2010 by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act. Together they gave IPSA three main responsibilities:

  • To regulate MPs’ business costs and expenses.

  • To determine MPs’ pay and pension arrangements.

  • To provide financial support to MPs in carrying out their parliamentary functions.

IPSA is independent of Parliament and the Government. This allows us to take decisions about the rules on business costs and expenses and on MPs’ pay ourselves, without interference.

The Scheme of MPs' Business Costs and Expenses ('the Scheme') governs what MPs can and cannot claim for. We review our rules regularly and consult the public when we do so.