How many MPs use volunteer interns

Request

Can you please tell me how many MPs use volunteer interns?


Response

IPSA holds the information that you request.

Members of Parliament may register volunteers with IPSA for the purpose of claiming for incidental expenses, which are limited to reasonable claims for travel and lunch.  This may also include individuals undertaking work experience or student placements.

Each of these individuals must complete a registration via the online expenses system and complete and send to IPSA a model volunteer intern agreement.  That a volunteer is registered does not indicate that claims for incidental expenses have been made. 

The information we hold only relates to registrations made by MPs for the purpose of claiming incidental expenses for volunteers and to subsequent claims made.  IPSA does not require MPs to specify the length of time individuals will volunteer for them; this is a matter for the individual volunteer and the MP.  We do not, therefore, hold a current figure for the number of individuals volunteering for Members of Parliament.

To date, 321 MPs have registered individuals using the Volunteer Intern Agreement.  This represents the number of MPs who have registered a volunteer with IPSA at any point since May 2010 and does not, therefore, indicate a current figure.

You may be interested to know that claims for business costs and expenses are published on our website, which includes all claims made on behalf of volunteer interns.  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:
F1314-062
Disclosure:
14 July 2013
Categories:
MPs' STAFFING
Exemptions Applied:
None