Various questions relating to Mike Hall MP, and general questions regarding equipment, salary and pensions.

Request

Various questions relating to Mike Hall MP, and general questions regarding equipment, salary and pensions.


Response

Your request was in three parts. The first part asked how and when equipment was reclaimed from MPs who retired or were defeated at the May 2010 General Election. The second part related specifically to Mr Mike Hall, the former MP for Weaver Vale constituency. The third part sought information about standard retirement and redundancy payments for MPs and their secretaries.

In respect of these first two parts, I can advise that IPSA does not hold the requested information as the request relates to events prior to IPSA taking on responsibility for MPs’ expenses. I have therefore forwarded your request to the FOI team at the House of Commons, who may be able to assist you with these parts of your request.  Their address is as follows:

House of Commons, Freedom of Information Team, London, SW1A 0AA.

In respect of the third part of the request, I can advise that IPSA does hold some of the requested information, as follows:

  • IPSA does not currently make any provisions for MPs to receive any lump sum should they stand down from Parliament on health grounds. IPSA believes any such payments should be considered as part of an MPs’ pay and pension arrangements and we do not at present have the legal powers to set MPs’ pay and pensions.

  • Compensatory payments to a secretary would be statutory redundancy pay (which would depend on their salaries) or whatever is set out in the secretary’s contract. There are no standard payments.

  • The standard salary scales for MPs’ secretaries are as follows:

London Area MPs

  • Senior Secretary £21,000 – £30,000

  • Junior Secretary £17,000 – £24,000

Non-London Area MPs

  • Senior Secretary £18,000 – £27,000

  • Junior Secretary £15,000 – £22,000

Ref:
FOI2011-054
Disclosure:
19 April 2011
Categories:
GENERAL EXPENSES ENQUIRY
Exemptions Applied:
None