Details of MP staffing costs

Request

I’m submitting this request under the Freedom of Information Act. It concerns the expenses published for Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford.

For the reporting period 2018-2019, Ms Ford reported Staffing Payroll expenses of £115,536.75.

Please can you tell me whether any of the staff covered by these expenses are members of Ms Ford’s family, and if so, what their relationship is to Ms Ford?

Response

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

In March 2017 the rules about the employment of connected parties was changed, meaning that MPs were no longer allowed to employ any new connected parties, though any existing connected parties could remain on the payroll. Further information about the employment of connected parties can be found in the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs & Expenses.

We require MPs to inform us if they are continuing to employ connected parties, and this information would be published as a separate line on an MP’s expenses claim.

As you can see from Ms Ford’s page, no such line is there.

If Ms Ford were employing any connected parties, then this would appear as a separate line on her expense claims, under Other Financial Information.

Ref:
RFI-202007-2
Disclosure:
16 July 2020
Categories:
MPs' CONNECTED PARTIESMPs' STAFFING
Exemptions Applied: