Request for expense claims for Alan Mak MP from 2018 to June 2020

I can confirm that we hold information relevant to your request. The details of Mr Mak’s expense claims are published on our website. The claims for June are still being validated and the details will be published later in the year.

This information is therefore subject to a Refusal Notice under sections 21 and 22(1) of FOIA.

Section 21 applies where information is reasonably accessible by other means, in this case on the website. Section 22(1) applies where information is intended for future publication as part of IPSA’s routine publication schedule. Section 22(1) is a qualified exemption and requires us to consider the public interest. MPs have a certain amount of time in which to submit their claims, and this period has been extended due to the current situation. Once claims have been submitted there is then a period of validation and reconciliation, before the information is ready for publication.

In the light of the validation and reconciliation procedure and because IPSA already has schedule of routinely publishing this information, I find that the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosure at this time.