Request for details of money owed to IPSA

Request

Could you please provide the following information regarding MP debt.

  1. For MPs and their offices that stood down at the 2019 General Election, can you provide the amount of debt that IPSA are chasing for each MP in £s and pence and the category this debt pertains to (example, office, bills,equipment, credit card, rent)

  2. For MPs and their offices that lost their seats at the 2019 General Election, can you provide the amount of debt that IPSA are chasing for each MP in £s and pence and the category this debt pertains to (example, office, bills,equipment, credit card, rent).

  3. For MPs and their offices that were reelected into their seats at the 2019 General Election, can you provide the amount of debt that IPSA are chasing for each MP in £s and pence and the category this debt pertains to (example, office, bills,equipment, credit card, rent).

  4. Any other debt that IPSA is chasing regarding ex-MPs from before the 2019 General Election.

  5. Can you provide a total sum of how much of the public's money it is costing IPSA to chase this debt?

  6. At what level of debt does or have IPSA sell the debt on to collection agencies in order to recoup public money.?

  7. At what point does IPSA consider taking the debtor to court/prosecution and have they ever done so?

Response

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request.

IPSA defines debt as:

“money owed to IPSA by former MPs (those MPs who have stood down or were defeated and are no longer subject to the winding up process), former MPs’ staff or external customers.”

In response to questions 1-4 this information is subject to a Refusal Notice under the FOIA. The relevant exemption is section 38(1)(b) health and safety, this exemption applies where the disclosure of information would or would be likely to endanger the safety of any individual. Section 38 is concerned with the likelihood of prejudice to the safety of an individual if the information were disclosed.

IPSA understands and is committed to the need for transparency with regards to the use of public money, however we also recognise the heightened feelings which have emerged as a result of the pandemic. We therefore believe that, if we disclosed the amount of debt which is currently being chasing and the names of the MPs concerned, in connection with the 2019 General Election, that there is a high likelihood of risk of life to that MP and members of their staff.

IPSA does publish a certain amount of information relating to amounts paid and not paid, and amount of debt written off, as part of its routine annual publication cycle. In the light of this I therefore find that the public interest in withholding information amount of debt being chased outweighs the public interest in disclosure at this time.

In answer to question 5, IPSA does not hold information on the amount of public money which is spent on dealing with matters relating to debt, this is because IPSA staff may perform this function as part of their normal duties, or provide support if required, even if they are not based in that team.

In question 6 you asked at what point IPSA would involve debt collection agencies? I can confirm that IPSA has never and is unlikely to ever use a debt collection agency to recover debt, because there would be an additional cost to the public in employing third party services.

To date, IPSA has never brought formal court proceedings to recoup debt.

Ref:
RFI-202006-9
Disclosure:
26 August 2020
Categories:
DEBT
Exemptions Applied:
Section 38