Expenses claimed by Eric Joyce MP

IPSA holds the information that you request.

You may be aware that IPSA publishes all claims for business costs and expenses on our website every two months, three months in arrears. You can view the published information via the following link to our publication website.

The following instructions may assist you in locating the information:

1. Select ‘Search Function’ via the menu bar at the top of the page.

2. Select an MP(s), Constituency, Postcode or Region.

3. Select a year and, optionally, month(s).

4. Select a category of Business Cost or Expense.

5. Select a type of Business Cost or Expense.

6. Click ‘Find’ to retrieve the information.

This will provide you with the full details for all claims by MPs each financial year.

The FOIA states that information that is accessible by other means is not subject to release. Therefore, as the information you have requested is already available on our website, it is exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA (information accessible to applicant by other means).

For your reference, the next publication date is 14 May 2015, which will cover those claims processed by IPSA during December 2014 and January 2015. Claims subsequently processed by IPSA will follow in future publications.

Section 22(1) of the FOIA states that information intended for future publication is exempt from release. 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 a full list rather than on an ad hoc basis, as in this way a clear and complete set of information is published, avoiding any potential confusion. It is for this reason that the application of the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure at this stage.

Some of the claims to which you refer in your letter were made prior to the establishment of IPSA, in 2010. We do not hold any information on claims made prior to 2010, which were handled by the House of Commons.

Since 2010, claims by MPs for business costs and expenses must be made in accordance with the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’). You can view a copy of the Scheme on our website.

In making any claim under the Scheme, an MP must certify that the expenditure was necessary for the performance of his or her parliamentary functions.

Guidance contained within the Scheme states: ‘MPs who have left Parliament should make arrangement to dispose of their office equipment and furniture. MPs may choose to transfer these items to their successor or another MP, or donate equipment to a charity of their choice. If MPs make a profit from disposing of equipment, they should refund this to IPSA’.