Details of payments to IPSA by Yeovil Liberal Democrats

Request

You specifically requested information relating to payments to IPSA of £9,873.90 during 2018/19. In particular, you asked for:

  • the individual sums;

  • the name of the person(s) in respect of whose expenses they were refunded;

  • exactly to what they relate;

  • the relevant dates of the expenditure;

  • how this came to light and

  • details of the correspondence between Yeovil Liberal Democrats and your staff.

Response

IPSA holds some of the information that you have requested.

The individual sums

There was one payment of £9,873.90.

The name of the person(s) in respect of whose expenses they were refunded.

David Laws MP

...exactly to what they relate

David Laws was MP for Yeovil from 2001-2015.  His constituency office was part of the offices rented by Yeovil Liberal Democrats.  The Yeovil Liberal Democrats contacted the MP to say that they had recently made a successful application to South Somerset District Council for small business rates relief, back-dated to 2010.  The original, higher amount they were previously charged was subject to a refund which also affected the amount Mr Laws had been paying to use the Yeovil Liberal Democrats’ premises. The £9,873.90 was the rebate due to IPSA.

...the relevant dates of the expenditure

1/04/2010 to the date 8 July 2015.

...how this came to light

See the explanation above.

...details of the correspondence between Yeovil Liberal Democrats and your staff.

IPSA did not correspond with the Yeovil Liberal Democrats, but spoke to the MP. We do not, therefore, hold any correspondence with the Yeovil Liberal Democrats relating to this matter.

Ref:
CAS-148131
Disclosure:
18 September 2019
Categories:
IPSA - OPERATIONS
Exemptions Applied: