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<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>
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