Question

To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, in how many instances IPSA has suspended the credit card of an hon. Member.

IPSA’s role is to regulate MPs’ business costs and expenses and to provide assurance that public funds are properly and effectively scrutinised. As a normal part of our operations, IPSA may, on occasion, limit the use of MPs’ payment cards for a short period. This may not necessarily entail a suspension of the card.

By analysing MPs’ spending against their annual budgets, IPSA uses this routine action as one of various preventative financial controls to limit each MP’s exposure to financial liability and to assist in ensuring their compliance with the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses. Their card use may also be limited in the event of a delay to the monthly reconciliation process.

In addition, IPSA sometimes makes amendments to an MP’s payment card account, including by limiting the card’s use, at the request of the cardholder, such as when a card is lost or the MP leaves Parliament