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1128446

registered interest
date	23/05/2019
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: Buildings
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, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2019 to Question 253493 on Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: Location, how many staff are located in the new premises at 85 Strand; how much floor space those staff occupy; at what rate per square metre; which locations were considered outside London for new premises; and what the comparable cost would have been in locating those staff outside London.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	257645
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>IPSA currently has 69 members of staff. It included in its office requirements space for up to 76 staff in order to provide flexibility for periods where there is a higher volume of work and therefore a need for additional temporary staff, such as General Election periods.</p><p>To disclose the size of the office or rate paid per square metre would be prejudicial to commercial interests. IPSA’s annual accounts are laid in Parliament and published each year, and will provide information about operational costs.</p><p>Before choosing its offices at 85 Strand, IPSA considered potential premises in Croydon and Milton Keynes, as well as Stratford and Canary Wharf in London, but determined that the selected location provided the prospect of better support to MPs and better value for money for the taxpayer.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 05/06/2019 09:35:36 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126071

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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, pursuant to the Answer of 7 May 2019 to Question 249206 on Members: Allowances, what the (a) forecast and (b) final cost was of the new IPSA IT system; and what assessment was made of additional costs that would be incurred by MPs' staff to work on the new system.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 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. At that time, IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs of the system are now forecast to be £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted all IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following our change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IPSA’s IT support. IPSA also spent longer than anticipated on testing the new system so that IPSA could have confidence that it would be fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget.</p><p>The new system administers MPs’ pay and business costs more efficiently and effectively, providing improved support to MPs and their staff while saving taxpayers’ money. MPs and their staff will benefit from these improvements by being able to access information and make changes to their staffing budget or office leases without needing to contact IPSA staff. They can now also access IPSA’s system directly through their secure parliamentary digital account without an additional logon. MPs and staff no longer need to send IPSA paper receipts and invoices through the post, but can scan and photograph them and upload them to IPSA digitally. The new system can also reimburse MPs’ staff directly rather than via the MP. On the basis of the experience so far, IPSA estimate that MPs will need to spend around 30 per cent less time overall on the new system than they did on the old one.</p><p>However, IPSA recognise that many MPs and their staff still need to get used to the new system. IPSA are therefore conducting group and one-to-one training in Parliament and have staff available on the phone to answer queries. IPSA are putting on more such training sessions in response to demand, with a regular presence in Portcullis House.</p><p>IPSA will shortly conduct a survey to gather more feedback about the new system, with plans for further improvements in due course. 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> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/05/2019 12:41:32 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1126072

registered interest
date	13/05/2019
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: Buildings
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 cost has been of the move by IPSA to new premises in central London; and what assessment was made of the potential merits of moving the organisation to a cheaper location outside London.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	253493
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>IPSA moved into new office premises at 85 Strand in March 2019. The forecasted cost of this move is £732,900. This budget was approved by the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA in January 2018. IPSA’s Annual Accounts for the 2018-19 financial year are being finalised and will be laid in Parliament in November. The Speaker’s Committee will have an opportunity to scrutinise this and other expenditure.</p><p>After reviewing properties on the market, the offices selected met IPSA’s criteria and offered the best value for money to the taxpayer over the long term, with competitive running cost over the life of the lease after completing initial fit-out work. Locations outside of London were considered. IPSA concluded that basing IPSA’s office in London and within reasonable distance of Parliament would ensure that IPSA can provide a better support to MPs and their staff, including regular meetings between them and their IPSA account managers.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/05/2019 12:40:18 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1123862

registered interest
date	30/04/2019
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, what involvement did the Speaker's committee had in the formulation of the new claims system for hon. Members' allowances.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	249206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2019 answer text <p>As part of its role to approve IPSA’s Estimate, in March 2016, the Speaker’s Committee approved funds for a wide-ranging improvement programme, including plans for a new IT system, IPSA Online. This took into account longstanding feedback from MPs and their staff about the need to modernise and improve IPSA’s systems and processes. In subsequent years, the Speaker’s Committee has scrutinised progress on this programme via the annual Estimate approval process, as well as other formal and informal updates.</p><p>The Speaker’s Committee had no direct input into the design of IPSA Online, but has received regular updates on the key features of the system and IPSA’s plans for engagement and training activities.</p><p>More generally, IPSA engaged with MPs and staff members throughout the development of IPSA Online through activities including surveys, meetings, usability testing and training sessions, in order to take account of their needs and preferences. IPSA is committed to ongoing liaison with MPs and their staff to gain further feedback on the new system now that it has been launched.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 07/05/2019 13:23:15 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1083652

registered interest
date	07/03/2019
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: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask The Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Committee will undertake a survey of hon. Members on the (a) cost and (b) resources allocated by hon. Members to responding to e-mails from (i) 38 Degrees and (ii) other campaigning organisations; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh South
tabling member printed	Ian Murray
uin	229668
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2019 answer text <p>The Independent Parliamentary Standard Authority (IPSA) was established to ensure MPs have the funding and support they need to conduct their parliamentary duties effectively. IPSA is also responsible for setting the level of the MPs’ Staffing Budget and for periodically consulting on all aspects of its expenses scheme, including on Members’ staff expenditure. At these times, Members and others are invited to respond to IPSA’s consultations and to suggest amendments to its scheme.</p><p>It is for individual MPs themselves to decide how their own staffing arrangements best support their work and how they respond to campaigning organisations such as 38 Degrees.</p><p>In respect of oversight of IPSA’s budgets, the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is in place to approve its annual estimates of resources. In addition, the Administration Committee meets representatives from IPSA to consider its support for Members and the way it operates its scheme.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 14/03/2019 15:04:11 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	3966 label Biography information for Ian Murray

984361

registered interest
date	09/10/2018
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	Parental Leave
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 assessment has been made of the effect of IPSA's family leave policy on the (a) provision of adequate office arrangements for Members and (b)(i) physical and (ii) mental health of parliamentary staff returning from such leave.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	177316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2018 answer text <p>I have asked the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to reply.</p><p>Letter from Marcial Boo, chief executive of IPSA, 10 October 2018:</p><p>The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) provides Family Leave Guidance in relation to staff employed by MPs, a copy of which can be found on our website at: <a href="https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/QKKeCvlGAf2N028cQYpib?domain=theipsa.org.uk" target="_blank">http://www.theipsa.org.uk/ipsa-for-mps/guidance</a>.</p><p>This document provides guidance on maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave, KIT/SPLIT days and caring leave. This is not a policy, but guidance to MPs on the statutory entitlements. As the legal employers of their staff, MPs are responsible for matters of individual staffing arrangements, such as approving instances of family leave and ensuring that they comply with relevant employment legislation.</p><p>As the document is guidance rather than a policy, and relates only to the statutory entitlements, we have not undertaken any specific assessment of its effects. However, IPSA encourages responsible employment and any necessary expenditure by MPs on the health and welfare of their staff, including their mental health. MPs can claim the cost of staff health and welfare costs, such as occupational health assessments, from their staffing budgets. We also undertake Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) in relation to major changes to our Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses. We last undertook an EIA in March 2017 which concluded that changes proposed to our Scheme were likely to have a small positive impact on MPs’ staff in relation to pregnancy and maternity. A copy of that report can be found on our website at: <a href="https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/fz7eCwVJBfA8ZAxIqtIAt?domain=theipsa.org.uk" target="_blank">http://www.theipsa.org.uk/publications/consultations/review-of-the-mps-scheme-of-business-costs-and-expenses</a>.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 11/10/2018 09:15:05 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

868490

registered interest
date	21/03/2018
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' Constituency 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 the Committee will make representations to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the need for additional financial provision to cover the increase in Members' constituency caseloads as a result of preparations for the UK leaving the EU.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	133710
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2018 answer text <p>The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) regulates and funds MPs’ business costs and expenses. As part of this role, IPSA sets a maximum budget from which MPs can fund their staffing costs. This is based on an average of four full-time-equivalent staff members, although each MP can choose to deploy this budget to suit their own staffing needs.</p><p>MPs’ budgets are reviewed each year. In 2012, the staffing budget was increased by 25% for London Area MPs and by 19% for non-London Area MPs, in part to allow MPs to employ more staff to support their work with constituents. In April 2018, the staffing budget will increase by a further 1.8% to allow for staff pay rises.</p><p>In addition, MPs may request to increase their budget if they provide evidence of having incurred unforeseen, exceptional costs. Such requests for contingency funding are considered on a case-by-case basis. If any MP finds that their constituency caseload has increased to an unmanageable level as a result of preparations for the UK leaving the EU (or another exceptional issue), they may apply for an increase to their staffing budget in this way.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 28/03/2018 09:47:57 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

805999

registered interest
date	13/12/2017
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, whether the Committee has had sight of the legal advice received by IPSA on connected parties; and if he will place a copy of that advice in the Library.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
tabling member printed	Simon Hart
uin	119209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2017 answer text <p><strong>The Speaker’s Committee has not received any legal advice on connected parties.</strong></p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 19/12/2017 16:53:59 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker previous answer version 30262 answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	3944 label Biography information for Simon Hart

685579

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
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: Security
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 many security passes into IPSA are issued to people (a) not directly employed by and (b) who are not civil servants who work in IPSA.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	63294
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2017 answer text <p>13 passes granting entry to IPSA's offices have been issued to individuals who are not directly employed by IPSA.</p><p>Three of these individuals are temporary members of staff engaged through an agency, three are cleaners who have access to the office outside of working hours and the remaining seven are staff at IPSA's IT service provider.</p><p>With regards to (b), the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 states that IPSA's staff are not to be regarded as the servants or agents of the Crown. Individuals directly employed by IPSA are not considered civil servants.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/02/2017 15:51:15 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

685580

registered interest
date	06/02/2017
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 total pay bill was for (a) male and (b) female employees in IPSA in 2015-16; and what the average per capita spend from that pay bill was for men and women in that year.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	63139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2017 answer text <p>IPSA publishes a large amount of information relating to our operations as part of our annual report and accounts, following the end of each financial year. Copies of these reports can be found on its website at the following address: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/publications/annual-reports-and-accounts/</p><p>During 2015-16, IPSA employed an average of 32 female and 27 male employees. This figure includes full and part-time staff, but excludes Board Members and temporary project staff engaged through an agency.</p><p>The total gross pay for male employees in 2015-16 was £1,091,483.80. The total gross pay for female employees was £1,201,905.81. These figures include part-time staff, whose gross pay has been pro-rated to their working hours.</p><p>Using these figures, the average per capita spend for male employees was £40,425.33, and for female employees was £37,559.56.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 20/02/2017 15:50:31 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett