ICO The complainant asked the House of Commons (HoC) to provide him with a variety of information about expense claims made by 12 specific MPs relating to both travel allowances and stationery allowances. The HoC provided the complainant with some information but argued that further information was exempt from disclosure on the basis of section 40(2) of the Act (Personal information). The information withheld on the basis of section 40(2) comprised the total amount claimed by each MP for staff travel for the financial years 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 against the Incidental Expenses Provisions and staffing budget allowances, and a breakdown of the amount claimed by each MP in relation to centrally purchased stationery and postage for the financial years 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 of the published tables. (Since 2004 MPs’ total annual spend against allowances has been published on the Parliamentary website). The complainant asked the Commissioner to consider the application of section 40(2) to these two classes of information. The Commissioner has concluded that section 40(2) does not provide a basis to withhold the information and therefore the Commissioner has ordered the HoC to disclose this information. In handling this request the Commissioner has also concluded that the HoC breached section 1(1)(b) and 10(1) by incorrectly withholding this information.
Section of Act/EIR and Finding: FOI 1 – Complaint Upheld, FOI 10 – Complaint Upheld, FOI 40 – Complaint Upheld
[2009] UKICO FS50199197
Bailii
England and Wales
Information
Updated: 13 December 2021; Ref: scu.532058