Details of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Research Team

IPSA holds some of the information that you request.

1. All information held by IPSA as to its corporate structure. Its company number etc.

IPSA has produced a report on pooled services, “Assurance Review: Pooled Services, Assessment of risks, controls and compliance, 2015-2016”, which you may find useful. 

The report is available on the IPSA website.

The Assurance Review was last updated in 2017, but we are currently in the very early stages of preparing a new assurance review of pooled services.  When completed the new report will be published on our website.

Information about the Research Team’s company number is not held by IPSA. If the Research team is a registered limited company, it should be possible to find more information – including a company number – from the Companies House website.

2. Whether it has a separate bank account to the SNP party.

IPSA does not hold information about the Scottish National Party’s bank account.

3. How many staff it employs, who the contracts are with and if these staff also work for the SNP for other political work.

According to the most recent information held by IPSA published in the Assurance review, in 2016 the SNP Research Team comprised 14 full-time staff, including a Head of Research, a Deputy Head, five senior researchers and seven junior researchers.

IPSA does not hold information about Research Team staff contracts.

4. Who staff employed by The Scottish National Party (SNP) Research Team report to.

The Research team forms part of the SNP Westminster Parliamentary Group, which is governed by an Executive Committee of current SNP MPs.  Information IPSA holds about the structure of the Research Team and its reporting line has been published in the Assurance Review, see in particular paragraphs 66 to 68, 106 and 108.

5. Where it is based?

IPSA does not hold information about where the SNP Research Team is based.