Ownership of items purchased by MPs for which they have been reimbursed.

Paul Perrin made this Freedom of Information request to House of Commons

The request was refused by House of Commons.

From: Paul Perrin

8 February 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I believe that it is usual in business for items purchased/funded
though expenses to belong to the company paying the expenses, not
the individual making the purchase/expenses claim.

Can you confirm that this is the case for all items purchased by
MPs and paid for by the state (whether through expenses, allowance
or any other means)? also can you explain how these assets are
tracked by the state? and what happens to these items when an MP
ceases to be an MP?

If this is not the case, and the items are considered to be owned
by the MP who happens to have originally purchased them, then can
you explain how this came about? and provide any information you
have on discussions/consideration of the 'ownership' of such items?

Yours faithfully,

Paul Perrin

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From: FOICOMMONS
House of Commons

9 February 2009

Dear Mr Perrin,

Thank you for your email dated 8 February 2009 and received today, 9
February.

Your request will be dealt with promptly and you should receive a
response by 9 March 2009.

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

Mandy Kelly
Freedom of Information Assistant

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From: FOICOMMONS
House of Commons

9 March 2009

Dear Mr Perrin,

Thank you for your request which is copied below.

Items purchased remain the property of MPs. No records are held about
how this came about.

You also asked for information about "discussions/consideration of the
'ownership' of such items". In the Members Estimate Committee (MEC)
review of allowances (HC 578-I, 2007-08) the Committee noted (para 214)
'Recently controversy has attached to the use of the accommodation
allowance for the purchase of household items like furniture and
electrical goods, and for home improvements like new kitchens and
bathrooms. In both cases what is required remains the permanent property
of the Member.'
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa...
578i.pdf

The MEC recommended changes to these arrangements. The new Green Book
(Parliamentary Salaries, Allowances and Pensions), to come into effect
on 1 April 2009, stipulates that 'The total costs claimed in respect of
furnishings in any allowance year (except the first year after a Member
is newly elected) are limited to 10 per cent of the PAAE [ie Personal
Additional Accommodation Expenditure] for that year (HC 142, 1008-09,
p11)'.

Background information about the allowances can be found in the above
MEC reports and in the Senior Salaries Review Body report on
parliamentary pay, pensions and allowances (Cm 7270) in 2007.

Current edition of the Green Book can be found on
http://dfaweb.parliament.uk/members/publ...

Senior Salaries Review Board:

http://www.ome.uk.com

The MEC reports on Revised Green Book and audit of Members' Allowances
are available on
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa...
14202.htm

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request, ask the
House of Commons to conduct an internal review of this decision.
Requests for internal review should be addressed to: Freedom of
Information Officer, Department of Resources, House of Commons London
SW1 OAA or [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 SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security

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From: Paul Perrin

12 March 2009

Dear FOICOMMONS,

Thank you for your response to my FoI request.

You say there is no record of how it came to be that items items
purchased on expenses remain the property of MPs.

If there is no legal basis for the items becoming the property of
MPs, then surely they are not, this is an oversight, and the House
of Commons has a duty to retrieve this propery which belongs to the
public.

Can you advise me if this has been raised before? And if not who at
the House of Commons should be contacted to correct this error?

Yours sincerely,

Paul Perrin

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From: FOICOMMONS
House of Commons

15 April 2009

Dear Mr Perrin

Thank you for your question about our response to your FOI request.

I am very sorry but there is nothing further to add to the information
previously provided. The provision of support for MPs undertaking
parliamentary duties when away from their main home is set out in
resolutions of the House and has been considered on several occasions by
the SSRB and the Members Estimate Committee. I understand a further
review of the system of financial support to MPs is planned. Perhaps
when the terms of reference for that particular review is announced you
might consider making your views known to that review body or
alternatively write to your own MP in relation to the matter.

Yours sincerely

Bob Castle
Head of Information Rights and Information Security

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