Volunteers and interns registered with IPSA by MPs since May 2010

Request

How many interns has each MP taken on since the 2010 General Election?


Response

Following a review of the data we hold, we wrote to you on 8 March 2013 to seek clarification on your request.  We hold information in relation to volunteers: individuals registered with IPSA by Members of Parliament for the purpose of claiming for incidental expenses such as lunch and travel to and from work, but who are not entitled to receive a salary.  This includes individuals undertaking work experience, on student placements, or internships with MPs.  “Unpaid interns” are, by definition, volunteers and we do not hold information on “interns” separately.

Each volunteer must complete a volunteer intern registration via the online expenses system and complete and send to IPSA a model volunteer intern agreement.

MPs may call some of their salaried staff “interns”. These staff may be paid below the normal IPSA pay scales, but must be paid at least the national minimum wage. These individuals are not required to complete volunteer intern registrations and are not separately identifiable from other salaried staff paid through IPSA’s payroll.   The number provided does not therefore include any individuals who fall within this category.

You confirmed that you were happy for us to provide you with the data we hold relating to individuals registered with IPSA by MPs to claim incidental expenses.  Annex A therefore lists, by MP, the number of individuals each MP has registered with IPSA to claim incidental expenses since the 2010 General Election.

That a volunteer is registered does not indicate that claims for incidental expenses have been submitted to IPSA.  The information also does not indicate the length of time individuals have been registered as volunteers, although the period will often be short.  We publish details of MPs’ claims for expenses on our website.  You may view the published information by visiting our publication website.  Details of claims for expenses are published in a two month cycle, three months in arrears.

Ref:
FOI2013-A192
Disclosure:
27 March 2013
Categories:
MPs' STAFFING
Exemptions Applied:
None