Ben Bradshaw expenses

Brian Hannay made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Health

The request was partially successful.

From: Brian Hannay

12 May 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to have a list of expenses claimed by Ben Bradshaw I
would like them for the financial year 2008-2009.

However, before I make such a request, can you please advise how
this information is kept?

In light of the allegations of Ben Bradshaw exense claims as laid
out in the Telegraph, I would basically like to know how to ask the
right question to find out:

1. how much he has claimed.
2. how much his office staff have claimed for spending on him.
3. how much has been spent providing him with travel.
4. how much has been spent on all his hospitality.
5. how much has been spent on equipment, decoration etc for his
personal office.

So, before I make a request, can you please provide me an account
of how his accounts are kept, what records there are and what sorts
of questions I could ask under FOIA to get the sorts of information
I want. Obviously, I am not interested in health spending (like how
much he authorised tobe spent on so and so health initiative) -
just the spending around him and his office.

If it is helpful to make this preliminary request under FOIA, then
that is fine. If you are able to provide me with some advice more
informally, then that is fine too.

Thanks,

Brian Hannay

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Department of Health

13 May 2009

Thank you for your enquiry.

We aim to respond within 20 working days.
If there is likely to be any delay we will contact you to let you know.

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Department of Health

20 May 2009

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From: Brian Hannay

28 May 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I take it you are joking? I sent YOU my question, so I would expect
DoH to advise me on your files, not on Parliament's! I find it
really patronising that you are asking me to clarify this when I
asked YOU this question - of course I don't want his parliamentary
expenses. I want his expenses as a minister of health. You will be
surprised to hear that when people ask questions, they do know whom
to send them to.

I see that I was mistaken in framing my first query so politely,
trying to obtain help from you.

I would like an answer to my first question but now hold few hopes
out that you will answer properly - you are clearly trying to dodge
this.

So, can you please take my first question, answer it under the
freedom of information act.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Hannay

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Department of Health

28 May 2009

Thank you for your enquiry.

We aim to respond within 20 working days.
If there is likely to be any delay we will contact you to let you know.

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From: Brian Hannay

26 June 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

This is late. Can I have an internal review? And can you please
explain to me exactly what the hold up is? I assume the accounts
are kept in one place and you can retrieve them pretty quickly. So
why is it taking so long?

Yours sincerely,

Brian Hannay

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Department of Health

3 July 2009

Our ref: DE00000416875
3 July 2009

Dear Mr Hannay,
Thank you for your email of 13 May to the Department of Health requesting,
under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, information about the expenses
incurred by Ben Bradshaw in the financial year 2008/09. In response to our
request for clarification, you confirmed in a further email of 28 May that
you sought information regarding expenses incurred in his capacity as
Minister of State for Health Services rather than as an MP.
First you asked how this information is kept. The answer is that this
information is kept electronically using the Department's Business
Management System (BMS).
You asked how much the Minister himself claimed. I can confirm that he
claimed a total of -L-23.70 for travel expenses incurred in the exercise
of his Ministerial duties.
You asked how much was claimed by the private office for spending on the
Minister. I am afraid that it is not possible to separate this information
from the amounts incurred in general against the private office's cost
code. However, I hope it will help in answer to this and your other
questions to list the various non-staff costs incurred by the office in
2008/9:
Official car and driver under the Government Car Service scheme
-L-87,307.94
Travel and subsistence on official business for Minister and all staff in
the private office, including costs associated with staff working on
temporary secondment from dh Leeds to dh London. -L-41,075.75
Official hospitality and catering -L-367.14
Minor IT and office equipment -L-84.22
Other expenditure, including various items such as stationery and
printing -L-3,970.69
There was no spending on decoration.
I hope this reply is helpful. If you are dissatisfied with the handling
of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review.
Internal review requests should be submitted within two months of the date
of receipt of the response to your original letter and should be addressed
to:

Head of the Freedom of Information Team
Department of Health
Room 317
Richmond House
79 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2NS

Email: [1][email address]
If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a decision.
Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the
complaints procedure provided by the Department. The ICO can be contacted
at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Colin McDonald
FOI Casework Advisor
Department of Health

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Department of Health

17 July 2009

Dear Mr Hannay

I am responding to your request of 26 June for an Internal Review, which
requested the progress on your previous request under the provisions of the
FOIA.

The Department of Health responded on 3 July with the information you
requested. In light of this, may I please ask you to confirm whether you
wish to proceed with your request for an Internal Review

Yours sincerely

Tony Doole
Senior Casework Manager - Freedom of Information
Freedom of Information Team
Ministerial Briefing & Parliamentary Accountability
Direct Line: 020 7210 5028
GTN Tel: 7210 5028
Email: [email address]
Address: Department of Health | Room 317 Richmond House | 79 Whitehall |
London SW1A 2NS

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Department of Health

24 August 2009

Dear Mr Hannay

I am writing to you following my email dated 17 August concerning the above
mentioned case.

As the Department of Health has not heard any further from you, the
specific case will now be closed down.

Yours sincerely

Tony Doole
Senior Casework Manager - Freedom of Information
Freedom of Information Team
Ministerial Briefing & Parliamentary Accountability
Direct Line: 020 7210 5028
GTN Tel: 7210 5028
[mobile number]
Email: [email address]
Address: Department of Health | Room 317 Richmond House | 79 Whitehall |
London SW1A 2NS

- - Disclaimer - -
This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential. If you are
not the intended recipient, any reading, printing, storage, disclosure,
copying or any other action taken in respect of this e-mail is prohibited
and may be unlawful. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify
the sender immediately by using the reply function and then permanently
delete what you have received.

Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored for
compliance with the Department of Health's policy on the use of electronic
communications. For more information on the Department of Health's e-mail
policy click here http://www.dh.gov.uk/terms

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