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1132886

	registered interest
	date	18/06/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate his Department has made on the potential cost incurred by MPs' offices in answering web-based inquiries generated by (a) 38 Degrees and (b) other websites in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
	tabling member printed	Royston Smith
	uin	266190
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to provide this reply.</p><p>IPSA is the statutory body responsible for regulating and paying the salaries, business costs and expenses of MPs. This includes regulating and paying the salaries of staff members who work for MPs.</p><p> </p><p>Each MP is allocated a budget from which their staffing costs are paid. The current staffing budget for MPs in London constituencies is £166,930; and for non-London MPs, the budget is £155,930.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2018-19 financial year, MPs spent £91.1 million on staffing costs, including employment costs and other staffing services.</p><p> </p><p>IPSA does not hold information on the cost attributable to staff members carrying out specific activities such as responding to web-based inquiries generated by 38 Degrees or other websites.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 25/06/2019 14:56:09 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1136735

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much the new system for reimbursing hon. Members' expenses cost to implement.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	272731
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>The original April 2016 business case for IPSA’s new IT system, IPSA Online, estimated a cost of £4.641 million. IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs incurred to ensure IPSA could go live with IPSA Online at the beginning of the current financial year were £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following a change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IT support. Testing the system took longer than anticipated in order to ensure it was fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget. A full internal audit of the programme is currently taking place. IPSA will report to the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA later in the year on the overall costs and benefits of IPSA Online.</p><p>IPSA is committed to supporting MPs and their staff during this transition and will make appropriate adjustments to improve the system as it beds in, while ensuring strong financial control, improvements in value for money, and high data quality and data security.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 10/07/2019 14:21:40 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1136873

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Commission will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the new IPSA system.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	273316
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>The original April 2016 business case for IPSA’s new IT system, IPSA Online, estimated a cost of £4.641 million. IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs incurred to ensure IPSA could go live with IPSA Online at the beginning of the current financial year were £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following a change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IT support. Testing the system took longer than anticipated in order to ensure it was fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget. A full internal audit of the programme is currently taking place. IPSA will report to the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA later in the year on the overall costs and benefits of IPSA Online.</p><p>IPSA is committed to supporting MPs and their staff during this transition and will make appropriate adjustments to improve the system as it beds in, while ensuring strong financial control, improvements in value for money, and high data quality and data security.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 10/07/2019 14:22:06 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1146277

	registered interest
	date	25/09/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much money has been claimed by Members for travel costs to return to Parliament following the Supreme Court ruling on the Government's prorogation of Parliament.
	tabling member constituency	Scunthorpe
	tabling member printed	Nic Dakin
	uin	291022
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/09/2019 answer text <p>IPSA provides funding for MPs to travel in order to fulfil their parliamentary duties. This includes travel from anywhere in the UK back to Westminster, for parliamentary reasons. Following the Supreme Court’s judgement and the resumption of Parliament on 25 September 2019, IPSA also funded MPs’ travel costs from other countries where necessary, in order for them to return to Parliament.</p><p>In accordance with the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses, MPs have a period of 90 days from when they incur a cost to submit a claim for reimbursement, accompanied by evidence. It will therefore not be possible to assess how much money has been claimed by MPs for their travel back to Parliament as a result of the Supreme Court’s judgement until 90 days after the 25 September 2019.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 30/09/2019 13:38:24 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4056 label Biography information for Nic Dakin

1171312

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what plans the Committee has to review the arrangements on access to salaries and expenses for hon. Members and their staff who do not take their seats.
	tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
	tabling member printed	Scott Benton
	uin	4497
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>Arrangements for paying salaries and expenses to MPs and their staff are for IPSA to determine, as set out in the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009. Section 4(6) of the Act states that IPSA is only able to pay the salaries of MPs who have taken the Oath and thereby take their seats in parliament. MPs who do not take the Oath, and the staff employed by them, are nonetheless eligible to claim for business costs in pursuit of their constituency work in line with the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 30/01/2020 17:02:16 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4793 label Biography information for Scott Benton

1171314

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the total cost has been to the public purse of hon. Members who have not taken their seats in the House of Commons in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017 and (d) 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Blackpool South
	tabling member printed	Scott Benton
	uin	4498
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>All MPs are able to claim for business costs and expenses in line with the rules established by IPSA in the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses. All business costs and expenses claimed by MPs, including those who have not taken their seats in the House of Commons, are routinely published and can be viewed on IPSA’s website: <a href="https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/qLAXCNL3qi2VnYMc4psuS?domain=theipsa.org.uk" target="_blank">www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-costs/your-mp/</a>.</p><p>The figures below outline the business costs and expenses of those MPs who have not taken their seats.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p>MPs with Published costs</p></td><td><p>Office Costs</p></td><td><p>Staffing</p></td><td><p>Staff Absence</p></td><td><p>Winding-Up Budget</p></td><td><p>Accommodation / Hotels</p></td><td><p>Travel</p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015-16</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>6</strong></p></td><td><p>£12,334.65</p></td><td><p>£545,454.86</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>£89,712.95</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£597.69</p></td><td><p><strong>£648,100.15</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016-17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>4</strong></p></td><td><p>£20,504.85</p></td><td><p>£434,266.07</p></td><td><p>NA</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£5,146.49</p></td><td><p><strong>£459,917.41</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8</strong></p></td><td><p>£115,569.72</p></td><td><p>£683,680.99</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£35,163.41</p></td><td><p>£7,835.00</p></td><td><p>£32,210.58</p></td><td><p><strong>£874,459.70</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018-19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>7</strong></p></td><td><p>£115,667.58</p></td><td><p>£893,333.79</p></td><td><p>£7,879.49</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£19,597.03</p></td><td><p>£119,282.23</p></td><td><p><strong>£1,155,760.12</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Under a resolution of the House, Representative Money is provided to opposition parties represented by Members who have chosen not to take the Oath. Payment of Representative Money is administered by the House of Commons Members’ Hub. Budget allocations for Representative Money since 2005-6 are published in Appendix 4 of the following document: <a href="https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/OxaaCOM3rc65PD2tkjS1X?domain=researchbriefings.parliament.uk" target="_blank">https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN01663</a> .</p><p>The Representative Money allocation figures for the four years in question are as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Period</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Main </strong><strong>Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Travel Allocation</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Allocation</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£</p></td><td><p>£</p></td><td><p>£</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015/16</strong><strong> *</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/15 - 07/05/15</p></td><td><p>11,511.00</p></td><td><p>329.45</p></td><td><p>11,840.45</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p>08/05/15 - 31/03/16</p></td><td><p>87,783.00</p></td><td><p>1,898.90</p></td><td><p>89,681.90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/16 - 31/03/17</p></td><td><p>97,556.00</p></td><td><p>2,224.32</p></td><td><p>99,780.32</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017/18 *</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/17 - 08/06/17</p></td><td><p>18,737.00</p></td><td><p>431.41</p></td><td><p>19,168.41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p>09/06/17 - 31/03/18</p></td><td><p>130,970.00</p></td><td><p>2,901.64</p></td><td><p>133,871.64</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/18 - 31/03/19</p></td><td><p>165,864.00</p></td><td><p>3,674.62</p></td><td><p>169,538.62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>* General Election years</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Since 2016-17 it has been a requirement to publish the amounts paid for the financial year and these can be found on the Parliament website via the following link: <a href="https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/Y7jACP73vF7vDB5Sj7NsM?domain=parliament.uk" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/financial-information/financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/previous-financial-assistance-to-opposition-parties/</a>.</p><p>The Representative Money actual expenditure for each financial year since 2016-17 was as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Period</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Main </strong><strong>Allocation Spend</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Travel Allocation</strong><strong> Spend</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total </strong><strong>Spend</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£</p></td><td><p>£</p></td><td><p>£</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016/17</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/16 - 31/03/17</p></td><td><p>97,743.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>97,743.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017/18 *</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/17 - 08/06/17</p></td><td><p>18,737.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>18,737.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p>09/06/17 - 31/03/18</p></td><td><p>131,824.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>131,824.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018/19</strong></p></td><td><p>01/04/18 - 31/03/19</p></td><td><p>166,005.00</p></td><td><p>0.00</p></td><td><p>166,005.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>* General Election years</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Any spend above the Main Allocation has been funded by the parties themselves.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 30/01/2020 17:04:17 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4793 label Biography information for Scott Benton

1175724

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Pay
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the mean salary is of the permanent staff of IPSA.
	tabling member constituency	Harwich and North Essex
	tabling member printed	Sir Bernard Jenkin
	uin	11429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2020 answer text <p>In 2018-19, the mean salary of the permanent staff at IPSA was £38,930.92.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 06/02/2020 13:26:11 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	40 label Biography information for Sir Bernard Jenkin

1196316

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, when the telephone line for IPSA will be re-opened.
	tabling member constituency	Cambridge
	tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
	uin	47324
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>On 17 March, IPSA moved all of its staff to homeworking, in line with Government guidance. Members were asked to communicate any queries by email, and IPSA staff then called or emailed them back to provide advice or resolve any issues.</p><p>Phone lines reopened on 21 April, when IPSA adopted the common retail approach of a call booking system. This was trialled with around 70 MPs’ offices on their User Group in order to ensure the system worked effectively. Following a successful trial, on 4 May the approach was implemented for all Members of Parliament and their staff who are now able to book phone calls with IPSA payroll and support staff at a convenient time. IPSA has received 286 call bookings so far.</p><p>IPSA will keep these arrangements under review to ensure effective support to Members and their staff at this time.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 19/05/2020 09:09:41 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1260161

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what estimate the Authority has made of the (a) amount and (b) cost to the public purse of Member's staff time spent on IPSA-related work; and what steps the Authority is taking to reduce that cost to the public purse.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	128234
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2020 answer text <p>I am grateful to the hon. Member for his question. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has listened to feedback from all of its stakeholders and acknowledges the significant amount of time that MPs and their staff currently spend administering business and staffing costs and the increase in volume and complexity of workloads as a result of the pandemic.Whilst IPSA has not estimated the amount of time or cost of this activity specifically as this varies by MP Office and constituency, with the backing of the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, IPSA is embarking on a transformation programme that will simplify the Scheme, improve service, deliver better value for money for the taxpayer and enable MPs and their staff to focus on their constituents and Parliamentary duties. In the short term, IPSA has also increased spending allowances to ensure office staffing and home working are resourced effectively.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 15/12/2020 10:12:18 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1273262

	registered interest
	date	30/12/2020
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members' Staff: Voluntary Work
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if IPSA will provide volunteers working at home during the covid-19 outbreak with the lunch expenses as provided for in the model volunteer agreement.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	133126
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) provides funding for staffing and business costs to support MPs in their parliamentary functions, in line with the rules and general conditions set out in its Scheme.</p><p>MPs may claim for the cost of reasonable food and travel expenses to be paid to volunteers who are supporting their parliamentary work, to ensure they are not out of pocket as a result of their volunteer activities. This may include, for example, the purchase of lunch when working away from home. Volunteer expenses may only be reimbursed to cover actual costs incurred as a result of supporting the MP and are not intended to be used as a daily food allowance to fund the consumption of food and drink in a volunteer's own home.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Sir Charles Walker question first answered 11/01/2021 14:26:07 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi