iPads purchased by MPs

Request

The total number of MPs that have made an application for an iPad on expenses or other budget allowed to them with name of member.


Response

I can confirm that IPSA publishes details of MPs expense claims on its website, individual payments to specific MPs can be viewed here. The information you have requested is, therefore, exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to applicant by other means) because the information can be searched and located through the IPSA website.

Details of expense claims are published in two month cycle, three months in arrears. The next publication date for expense claims is Thursday 1 March 2012. Details of any claims that IPSA has not approved for reimbursement will also be published on this date. Therefore, IPSA have taken the view that the information you have requested is exempt under Section 22(1) of the FOIA (Information intended for future publication).

We have considered whether the public interest in releasing the information outweighs the application of the exemption. It is our opinion that the public interest is best served by publishing the information at set dates, rather than on an ad hoc basis, as this way a clear and complete set of information is published, which should also avoid causing confusion. It is for these stated reasons that the application of the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Ref:
FOI2012-A015
Disclosure:
22 February 2012
Categories:
GENERAL EXPENSES ENQUIRY
Exemptions Applied:
Section 21