Independent Parliamentary
Standards Authority
4th Floor
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4DU.
T 020 7811 6400
John Humble
E xxx@xxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Via email
www.parliamentarystandards.org.uk
Our ref: CAS-44974
20 April 2016
Dear Mr Humble,
Thank you for your email of 19 March 2016 in which you requested information relating to
the staffing arrangements of Emma Lewell-Buck MP. Your request has been handled under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).
You made the following request.
Employment of parliamentary assistant (PA) Mr S Buck for Emma Lewell Buck MP for
South Shields.
Please could you provide the following information:
How long has the Mr Buck been in the job?
What are Mr Buck''s responsibilities?
What qualifications does Mr Buck have for the job?
Was the role advertised?
If so, when and where was it advertised and how many people applied for the position?
What dates did interviews take place?
Were unsuccessful applicants notified?
What did the selection process entail?
Under the
MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses (‘the Scheme’), Staffing Expenditure
may be claimed to meet the cost incurred in the provision of staff to assist with the
performance of an MP’s parliamentary functions. It may only be claimed for the salary of
one employee who is a connected party (unless an MP employed more than one connected
party prior to 7 May 2010).
Following the end of each financial year, we publish information on each MP’s annual
expenditure, which includes information on the employment of any connected parties. You
can find this information on our website at the following address:
http://www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk/AnnualisedData.aspx. Mr Buck began employment as a Parliamentary Assistant on 10 November 2015. You can
find typical responsibilities for different roles, including that of a Parliamentary Assistant, on
our website at the following address:
http://parliamentarystandards.org.uk/Job%20Description/Documents/MP%20staff%20JDs%
20spreadsheet%2015%20-%2016.pdf/
Although the salaries of staff members are paid by IPSA, MPs remain the legal employer of
their staff members, and are responsible for most employment arrangements (including the
arrangements necessary for employing individuals for vacant roles). As such, the remaining
information that you have requested is not held by IPSA. You may wish to contact the MP
directly, however you should be aware that MPs as individuals are not subject to the terms
of the Freedom of Information Act.
How to request an internal review of this response
If you are dissatisfied with this response, you may request an internal review. The internal
review will be carried out by someone who was not involved in the original decision, and
who will assess the handling of the original request.
If you wish to request an internal review, please write to IPSA within two months of the date
of this letter, at the following address:
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
4th Floor
30 Millbank
London
SW1P 4DU.
Or by email to:
xxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx If you remain dissatisfied after an internal review decision, you have the right to apply to the
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under Section 50 of the FOIA. You may contact the
ICO at the following address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Or you may wish to visit th
e ICO’s website. Yours sincerely,
Chris Veck
Freedom of Information Officer
