Question

To ask the hon. Member for Warrington North, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, on what dates, and in what form, have IPSA asked hon. Members to provide information about (a) the volume of casework being undertaken by their offices and (b) any other such data referred to at the SCIPSA oral evidence session which took place on 4 March 2026.

IPSA regularly engages and communicates with both Members and Members’ staff through informal and formal channels.

IPSA has discussed the need for information and evidence relating to casework volumes and other pressures experienced by offices, including through regular informal engagement with proxies and office managers, as well as via account manager liaison with offices. For instance, as part of IPSA’s consultation ahead of 2026-27 budget decisions, IPSA encouraged office managers to provide data on casework volumes at a Members’ Office Managers’ meeting on 22 October 2025. A written follow-up with this request was also distributed.

IPSA’s consultation on staffing was open from 6 October until 31 October 2025. In total, IPSA received over 440 responses. Of those, 60 responses referred to casework.

The regular engagement IPSA has with offices is an invaluable opportunity in which IPSA is able to informally seek and receive feedback, outside, or as part, of formal consultation cycles.

IPSA has listened to the feedback received in the wake of the announcement of 2026-27 staffing funding and will be setting up a joint working group with House services that will aim to assess the evidence of need and agree a practical, deliverable plan to accelerate efforts to help MPs manage workloads and secure value for money beyond the additional funding provided, reporting back to the Speaker in four months’ time.