The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.<\/p>
Letter from Andrew McDonald, 3/10/2014 2013:<\/em><\/p> As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about IPSA's Contingency Panel.<\/p> The rules concerning the Contingency Panel are set out at Paragraph 10.12 of the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses.<\/p> They set out that in relation to each application the Contingency Panel will consider:<\/p> a. whether there are exceptional circumstances warranting additional support;<\/p> b. whether the MP could reasonably have been expected to take any action to avoid the circumstances which gave rise to the expenditure or liability; and<\/p> c. whether the MP's performance of parliamentary functions will be significantly impaired by a refusal of the claim.<\/p> Given the significant increase in staffing budgets made in 2012/13, we have not provided contingency funding for MPs' staffing expenditure budgets on the basis of increased casework in 2013/14.<\/p><\/blockquote>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"}
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, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Charles Walker"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-18T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what criteria the IPSA Contingency Panel used to grant uplifts to hon. Members' staffing expenditure budgets in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/35", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Bob Russell"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir Bob Russell"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41947", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee for Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41947/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.<\/p> Letter from Andrew McDonald, 3/10/2014 2013:<\/em><\/p> As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about IPSA's Contingency Panel.<\/p> In 2012/13 the highest uplift approved by the Contingency Panel was £13,909 and the lowest was £600.<\/p> In 2013/14 to date, the highest has been £17,900 and the lowest £600.<\/p> <\/p> These figures do not include other uplifts to provide cover for staff on maternity, paternity, adoption and long term sick leave.<\/p><\/blockquote> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"}
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, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxbourne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Charles Walker"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-18T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "90"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the (a) highest and (b) lowest uplift allocated to hon. Members' staff expenditure budgets was in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 to date.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/35", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Bob Russell"}
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, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Colchester"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sir Bob Russell"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41618", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Speaker's Committee for Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/41618/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.<\/p> Letter from Andrew McDonald, March 2013:<\/p> As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking about the engagement of Matrix Chambers.<\/p> <\/p>Counsel from Matrix Chambers were identified as one of IPSA's preferred legal Counsel as part of a tender exercise for legal services in 2010. Accordingly, Counsel from Matrix Chambers were instructed by IPSA's solicitors, Addleshaw Goddard LLP, in connection with the matter in March 2013.<\/blockquote> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1493", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Charles Walker"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Broxbourne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Charles Walker"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-03-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-03-25T12:00:00.00Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "90"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : ""}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-03-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what procurement process was conducted by IPSA in advance of the decision to engage Matrix Chambers to prepare and advise on High Court action in May 2013 in respect of their case against the hon. Member for Peterborough; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/373", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir David Davis"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Haltemprice and Howden"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr David Davis"}
], "uin" : "190702"}
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