MPs’ Annual Business Costs for 2015-16

Date published: 17 November 2016

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority today published figures for business costs and expenses incurred by MPs in the 2015-16 financial year. 

The overall figures show:

  • Overall spend on all budgets – £113,664,857.55

  • Office Costs – £11,292,632.52

  • Staffing – £80,214,549.52

  • Accommodation – £7,245,055.47

  • Travel & Subsistence – £4,883,222.07

  • Other – £10,029,397.97

IPSA’s Chief Executive, Marcial Boo, said:

“Members of Parliament do a demanding job that is important for our democracy. IPSA helps them carry out their role, both in Westminster and in their constituencies, by paying their legitimate business costs within a strong regulatory framework. We publish all their spending, and today we show that MPs’ business costs in 2015-16 were broadly the same as in the previous year, with the addition of the one-off costs of the May 2015 General Election, such as the winding-up of MPs’ offices and paying start-up costs for new MPs.

“More than 70% of the money we spend on MPs pays the salaries of their staff. These are dedicated people who help MPs to provide a service to their constituents up and down the country. This proportion has remained largely constant from previous years.

“2015-16 also saw IPSA’s spending on MPs’ security increase from £77,234.67 to £160,023.53, even before the tragic events of June. It is important that we take their security, and that of their families and their staff, very seriously.

“This year we are publishing MPs’ spending on a new website to make it easier for the public to see what their own representative has spent. We are also trialling providing MPs with an opportunity to comment on their spending, should they wish to do so.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

  1. Figures used in the press release above are actual and have not been adjusted. They may be subject to minor revisions.

  2. Detailed figures for individual MPs are available.

  3. Also published today our routine bi-monthly publication of MPs’ costs and expenses for all claims processed in June and July 2016. The data reflect claims processed in that two-month period and should not be interpreted as a trend or pattern.

  4. The overall spend does not include the amount spent on MPs’ Security and Disability Assistance. For 2015-16 these are £172,600.63 for disability assistance and £160,023.53 for security assistance. These figures are published separately as these costs are not attributed to individual MPs.

  5. For more details contact IPSA Press Office 020 7811 6462.