Gywn Prosser MP Expenses without proof of expenditure

Dear Mr Wells,

Thank you for your email dated 2 June 2008 which was received on the
same day.

We shall deal with your request promptly and let you have a response by
30 June 2008.

If you have any queries about your request, please contact me.

Mandy Kelly
Freedom of Information Assistant

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Dear Mr Wells,

Thank you for your email dated 2 June 2008 which is copied below.

The House does not automatically record the information you ask for.
However, copies of all claims, including those for which no receipt or
supporting documentation were required, will be published later this
year. The receipts where held, will be published at the same time.

The House has taken the decision to prepare for publication detailed
information about allowance expenditure by all Members other than
information which is covered by the exemption in section 40 of the FOIA
(personal data). The information disclosed will include the detailed
information about claims you require. The intended amendment to the
House's publication scheme will take full account of the Information
Commissioner and Tribunal's decisions. It is planned that the first
stage of this publication which it is intended will eventually cover all
years for which information is held will take place in the autumn of
this year.

Therefore, while the information is held by the House, the exemption
described in section 22 of the Act applies (information intended for
future publication) and your request is refused. This is not an absolute
exemption and the public interest test must be applied.

At present the House holds detailed information relating to the current
financial year and the four previous (2004/05 to 2008/09). Very little
by way of detail is held on the electronic systems. Therefore, the
preparation of material for publication later this year will involve
looking in detail at the paper records of claims and receipts for each
Member and former Member while ensuring that the Information
Commissioner's conclusions are properly considered and implemented. The
paper records which will need to be analysed comprise around 2,600 large
files and all available resources will focus on producing that
information in as short a period as possible. That process would be
seriously disrupted if staff as well or instead had to deal with
individual requests relating to particular years or particular MPs or
groups of MPs.
While the House accepts that there is a public interest in providing
access to information relating to individual MPs such as that covered by
your request it has concluded that this interest is outweighed by the
public interest in providing access as soon as possible to detailed
information covering all Members. Therefore, the House has concluded
that the balance of the public interest rests with maintaining the
exemption while this information is being prepared for publication.

The House will consider complaints in relation to its handling of this
request. These should be addressed to [House of Commons request email] Please
ensure that you specify the nature of your complaint and any arguments
or points that you wish to make. If you remain dissatisfied, you may
appeal to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire.

Bob Castle
Freedom of Information and Data Protection Officer
020 7219 2032

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