Email sent to Lords

The request was partially successful.

Dear House of Lords,

Lord Taylor of Warwick has stated under oath in court that

"email was sent by House of Lords to all peers telling them not to speak to press about expenses"

I would like a copy of that email and or letters sent by the Lords to Peers relating to expenses.

Yours faithfully,

Nick Leaton

House Of Lords Information Office, House of Lords

Thank you for your email.

The House of Lords Information Office receives large numbers of e-mails and we aim to reply within 10 working days. If you need the information sooner please telephone the House of Lords Information Office on 020 7219 3107.

The following information may answer many of your enquiries.

House of Lords
If you have access to the internet you may find the answers to most of your queries on the House of Lords pages of the Parliament website: http://www.parliament.uk/lords

House of Lords Press Office
If you are a member of the press and wish to contact the House of Lords Press Office please call 020 7219 8550.

Judicial Questions
For information about appeal cases, please contact the Supreme Court:

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Parliament Square
London SW1P 3BD
Tel: 020 7960 1991/1992
Fax: 020 7960 1901
http://www.supremecourt.gov.uk

Appointments to the House of Lords
For queries about appointments to the House of Lords, contact the House of Lords Appointments Commission, which is a separate independent body and NOT part of the House of Lords:
The House of Lords Appointments Commission
35 Great Smith Street
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SW1P 3BQ
Tel: 020 7276 2005 (020 7276 2315 for an Information Pack)
www.lordsappointments.gov.uk<http://www.lordsappointments.gov.uk>

Thank you.

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FOI LORDS, House of Lords

Dear Mr Leaton

I am writing with regard to your request for information received by the House of Lords administration on 21 January.

You have requested, in addition to an email sent to Members of the House of Lords, "letters sent by the Lords to Peers relating to expenses."

The House of Lords administration sends a great many letters to Members relating to the subject of expenses, these may take the form of en masse announcements, individual queries relating to a claim or responses to letters sent by Members themselves. In order to locate the information you require we therefore need to clarify what it is you are seeking and the particular period of time you are interested in.

Please could you let me know and then we can begin work on this aspect of your request.

Regards

Alex Daybank
Information Compliance Manager
House of Lords
[email address]

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Dear FOI LORDS,

In court in the Trial of Lord Taylor of Warwick it was clearly stated that the Lords authorities had written to all peers telling them to not comment on any issues relating to expenses.

So I think a FOI request for all emails or mails sent to peers relating to expenses is pretty clear as to what is being requested.

As for a time scale, how about 5 years?

Of course there is an easier way for the Lords to deal with this. Be open in the first place and publish the information on the web so the public as well as peers can read the information.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Leaton

FOI LORDS, House of Lords

Dear Mr Leaton

Your request will be dealt with under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. You should expect a response from us no later than 18 February.

Alex Daybank
Information Compliance Manager
House of Lords
[email address]

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FOI LORDS, House of Lords

Dear Mr Leaton

I am writing in response to your request for information received by the House of Lords on 21 January.

Following clarification of your request on 24 January we have interpreted this to be for any emails or letters sent by the House of Lords administration to Members relating to the issue of media enquiries into Members expenses over the last five years.

We have located one email sent to all Members of the House of Lords by the then Director of Public Information on 7 May 2009 at 1436 . The content of this email is below:

Subject: Press Interest in Members' Allowances

Message from Mary Morgan

This is to alert you to the fact that both the Sunday Times and the News of the World are continuing to ask questions about overnight allowances and main and second homes using the most recently published expenses (December 2008). These are available on the website, together with background briefing explaining the system.

It is possible that they will try to pursue individual members and we suggest that if you are approached you do not make any comment.

Mary

Mary Morgan
Director of Public Information
Information Office
House of Lords
Tel : 020 7219 0671

We hold no further recorded information relevant to your request.

You may, if dissatisfied with the treatment of your request for information, ask the House of Lords to conduct an internal review. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to [email address] or to the Freedom of Information Officer, House of Lords, London SW1A 0PW. Arrangements will be made for someone who has not been involved in dealing with your request to conduct an internal review. Our aim is to complete internal reviews within 20 working days.

If, following this review, you remain dissatisfied with the House’s treatment of your request for information then you may take your complaint to the Information Commissioner at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF.

Yours sincerely,

Alex Daybank
Information Compliance Manager
House of Lords
[email address]

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