Asked by: John Spellar (Labour - Warley)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what involvement did the Speaker's committee had in the formulation of the new claims system for hon. Members' allowances.
Answered by Charles Walker
As part of its role to approve IPSA’s Estimate, in March 2016, the Speaker’s Committee approved funds for a wide-ranging improvement programme, including plans for a new IT system, IPSA Online. This took into account longstanding feedback from MPs and their staff about the need to modernise and improve IPSA’s systems and processes. In subsequent years, the Speaker’s Committee has scrutinised progress on this programme via the annual Estimate approval process, as well as other formal and informal updates.
The Speaker’s Committee had no direct input into the design of IPSA Online, but has received regular updates on the key features of the system and IPSA’s plans for engagement and training activities.
More generally, IPSA engaged with MPs and staff members throughout the development of IPSA Online through activities including surveys, meetings, usability testing and training sessions, in order to take account of their needs and preferences. IPSA is committed to ongoing liaison with MPs and their staff to gain further feedback on the new system now that it has been launched.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question
To ask The Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Committee will undertake a survey of hon. Members on the (a) cost and (b) resources allocated by hon. Members to responding to e-mails from (i) 38 Degrees and (ii) other campaigning organisations; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Charles Walker
The Independent Parliamentary Standard Authority (IPSA) was established to ensure MPs have the funding and support they need to conduct their parliamentary duties effectively. IPSA is also responsible for setting the level of the MPs’ Staffing Budget and for periodically consulting on all aspects of its expenses scheme, including on Members’ staff expenditure. At these times, Members and others are invited to respond to IPSA’s consultations and to suggest amendments to its scheme.
It is for individual MPs themselves to decide how their own staffing arrangements best support their work and how they respond to campaigning organisations such as 38 Degrees.
In respect of oversight of IPSA’s budgets, the Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is in place to approve its annual estimates of resources. In addition, the Administration Committee meets representatives from IPSA to consider its support for Members and the way it operates its scheme.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what assessment has been made of the effect of IPSA's family leave policy on the (a) provision of adequate office arrangements for Members and (b)(i) physical and (ii) mental health of parliamentary staff returning from such leave.
Answered by Charles Walker
I have asked the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority to reply.
Letter from Marcial Boo, chief executive of IPSA, 10 October 2018:
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) provides Family Leave Guidance in relation to staff employed by MPs, a copy of which can be found on our website at: http://www.theipsa.org.uk/ipsa-for-mps/guidance.
This document provides guidance on maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave, KIT/SPLIT days and caring leave. This is not a policy, but guidance to MPs on the statutory entitlements. As the legal employers of their staff, MPs are responsible for matters of individual staffing arrangements, such as approving instances of family leave and ensuring that they comply with relevant employment legislation.
As the document is guidance rather than a policy, and relates only to the statutory entitlements, we have not undertaken any specific assessment of its effects. However, IPSA encourages responsible employment and any necessary expenditure by MPs on the health and welfare of their staff, including their mental health. MPs can claim the cost of staff health and welfare costs, such as occupational health assessments, from their staffing budgets. We also undertake Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) in relation to major changes to our Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses. We last undertook an EIA in March 2017 which concluded that changes proposed to our Scheme were likely to have a small positive impact on MPs’ staff in relation to pregnancy and maternity. A copy of that report can be found on our website at: http://www.theipsa.org.uk/publications/consultations/review-of-the-mps-scheme-of-business-costs-and-expenses.
Asked by: Thangam Debbonaire (Labour - Bristol West)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Committee will make representations to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority on the need for additional financial provision to cover the increase in Members' constituency caseloads as a result of preparations for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Charles Walker
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) regulates and funds MPs’ business costs and expenses. As part of this role, IPSA sets a maximum budget from which MPs can fund their staffing costs. This is based on an average of four full-time-equivalent staff members, although each MP can choose to deploy this budget to suit their own staffing needs.
MPs’ budgets are reviewed each year. In 2012, the staffing budget was increased by 25% for London Area MPs and by 19% for non-London Area MPs, in part to allow MPs to employ more staff to support their work with constituents. In April 2018, the staffing budget will increase by a further 1.8% to allow for staff pay rises.
In addition, MPs may request to increase their budget if they provide evidence of having incurred unforeseen, exceptional costs. Such requests for contingency funding are considered on a case-by-case basis. If any MP finds that their constituency caseload has increased to an unmanageable level as a result of preparations for the UK leaving the EU (or another exceptional issue), they may apply for an increase to their staffing budget in this way.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many security passes into IPSA are issued to people (a) not directly employed by and (b) who are not civil servants who work in IPSA.
Answered by Charles Walker
13 passes granting entry to IPSA's offices have been issued to individuals who are not directly employed by IPSA.
Three of these individuals are temporary members of staff engaged through an agency, three are cleaners who have access to the office outside of working hours and the remaining seven are staff at IPSA's IT service provider.
With regards to (b), the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 states that IPSA's staff are not to be regarded as the servants or agents of the Crown. Individuals directly employed by IPSA are not considered civil servants.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the total pay bill was for (a) male and (b) female employees in IPSA in 2015-16; and what the average per capita spend from that pay bill was for men and women in that year.
Answered by Charles Walker
IPSA publishes a large amount of information relating to our operations as part of our annual report and accounts, following the end of each financial year. Copies of these reports can be found on its website at the following address: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/publications/annual-reports-and-accounts/
During 2015-16, IPSA employed an average of 32 female and 27 male employees. This figure includes full and part-time staff, but excludes Board Members and temporary project staff engaged through an agency.
The total gross pay for male employees in 2015-16 was £1,091,483.80. The total gross pay for female employees was £1,201,905.81. These figures include part-time staff, whose gross pay has been pro-rated to their working hours.
Using these figures, the average per capita spend for male employees was £40,425.33, and for female employees was £37,559.56.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, (IPSA) what the (a) ethnicity, (b) gender, (c) disability status, (d) educational background and (e) socio-economic status is of the three most senior officials employed by IPSA.
Answered by Charles Walker
IPSA’s Chief Executive, Marcial Boo, is supported by a team of three senior directors (two male and one female).
Information relating to IPSA’s senior staff is published on IPSA’s website, available at the following address: https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are/ipsas-senior-staff/. Further information is also published annually in IPSA’s annual report and accounts.
In line with statutory requirements under the Data Protection Act 1998, we do not publish sensitive personal data, which includes information relating to an individual’s ethnicity or disability status. IPSA does not hold information on employees’ educational background or socio-economic status.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, whether the Committee plans to create an official policy of caring leave for members' staff.
Answered by Charles Walker
The Speaker’s Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (SCIPSA) is not responsible for creating HR policies for MPs’ staff. Its remit is to consider candidates proposed by the Speaker for the posts of Chair and members of the Authority, following fair and open competition, and to approve IPSA's annual estimate of resources.
MPs are the legal employers of their staff. It is for them to use their discretion to provide their staff with caring leave. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority provides template contracts for MPs to use with their staff. These allow for up to five days at full pay for time off work to deal with unforeseen circumstances and emergencies involving a dependant.
Asked by: Royston Smith (Conservative - Southampton, Itchen)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what the (a) ethnicity and (b) gender is of each staff member employed by hon. Members.
Answered by Charles Walker
As at 9 March 2016, 3,161 individuals were employed by MPs and paid through IPSA’s payroll. Of these, 1795 were female and 1366 were male.
IPSA does not collect or hold data on the ethnicity of MPs’ staff.
Asked by: Simon Hart (Conservative - Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, what discussions the Committee has had with IPSA on the reissuing of the P11D forms for hon. Members for 2014-15.
Answered by Charles Walker
I have received confirmation from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that in 2014-15, an error with the mail merge used to create P11Ds resulted in incorrect forms being sent to Members.
I understand from IPSA that they have taken steps to improve the quality checking process, and that staff will receive additional training in the production of P11Ds. In the longer term, IPSA is planning improvements to its information management systems which should reduce the likelihood of data discrepancies, like the one that led to this incident, occurring.