Request for evidence for claim by Virginia Crosbie, MP

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

As the claim related to rental accommodation Part C of The Scheme of MPs’ Staffing and Business Costs only required IPSA to see evidence of the tenancy agreement. Copies of documents associated with this claim accompany this letter together with an additional letter from our Chief Executive which provides some contextual information.

A small amount of information has been redacted from the documents and is subject to a Refusal Notice under section 40 of the FOIA.

Sections 40(2) and 40(3A)(a) – personal data

This exemption applies to information which IPSA considers to be personal data within the meaning of Article 4(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (UK GDPR) which states:

‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly

IPSA considered that the following are personal data within this definition: signature of the Director of MP Support; the name of the IPSA Account Manager; the name of the MP’s staff member. We then considered whether disclosure of this personal data would breach any of the Principles relating to the processing of personal data in the UK GDPR.

The relevant principle falls at Article 5(1)(a),

Personal data shall be:

a. Processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject

As IPSA was unable to find a lawful basis on which it could rely, within Article 6 of the UK GDPR, it therefore finds that the information is exempt under section 40.