Thank you for emailing the Freedom of Information mailbox at the
Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

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information you are asking about is already available.

Information about IPSA: [1]https://www.theipsa.org.uk/about-us/

Information about MPs’ costs and expenses:
[2]https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-costs/

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Dear Mr Ayre,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your request for information which
was received by IPSA on 12 January 2023.  Your request will be dealt with
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and you should expect our
response by 9 February 2023.

In the meantime, you may find the following information on our website
helpful:

[1]A guide to MPs’ staffing and business costs

[2]News blog and FAQs

Responding to your request

Section 10 of the Freedom of Information Act allows public authorities to
apply variations to the normal 20 working day timescale in some limited
circumstances. Should this be necessary we will contact you to advise of
an extension in advance of the deadline given above.

Should we require further clarification from you, we will contact you
about this as soon as possible.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know. A fees notice will then be issued to you, and you will
be required to pay before we proceed to deal with your request.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance

[3]www.theipsa.org.uk

[4][email address]

[5]@ipsauk

IPSA Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication from the sender is
confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others
authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in
relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware by
Mimecast, but no liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus
transmitted by this e-mail.

References

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2. https://www.theipsa.org.uk/news/latest
3. http://www.theipsa.org.uk/
4. mailto:[email address]
5. https://www.twitter.com/ipsauk

Dear Mr Ayre

Please find attached the response to your Freedom of Information request.

Yours sincerely

Alison Benson

Alison Benson

Information Governance Officer

[1]www.theipsa.org.uk 

[2]@ipsauk 

IPSA Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication from the sender is
confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others
authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in
relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware by
Mimecast, but no liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus
transmitted by this e-mail.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.theipsa.org.uk/
2. https://www.twitter.com/ipsauk

Dear Mr Ayre

Your email of 21 April 2023 is being processed as an internal review under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In accordance with the Information Commissioner’s guidance, IPSA’s policy
is to respond to internal reviews within 20 working days.

The review will be carried out by a senior member of IPSA staff who was
not involved in the original response to your request. You should,
therefore, expect a response by 22 May 2023.

Yours sincerely

Alison Benson

Information Governance Officer

[1]www.theipsa.org.uk 

[2]@ipsauk 

From: Stuart <[FOI #935210 email]>
Sent: 21 April 2023 12:16
To: FOI (Freedom of Information) [Mailbox] <[IPSA request email]>
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Policy
Research Unit

Dear Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority,

I am writing to request an internal review of your response to my Freedom
of Information request dated 12 January 2023, in which I asked for any
research you have obtained from the Policy Research Unit (PRU). Your
response cited the application of the exemption under section 43(2) of the
FOIA, stating that the disclosure of information would likely prejudice
the commercial interests of the PRU.

I would like to argue that the information requested would not prejudice
the commercial interests of any person. I understand that the PRU is a
subscription-based service, but I am not asking for recent research that
may still hold significant commercial value. Furthermore, I believe that
the public interest in transparency and accountability regarding research
obtained by IPSA from the PRU, which has an impact on policy decisions,
outweighs any potential commercial interests.

In addition, I would like to inquire if the IPSA has ever released
information from the Policy Research Unit before. If so, please provide
details of such instances, as well as the reasons for releasing the
information in those cases.

I am also interested in understanding the process undertaken by the IPSA
to assess the commercial interests related to the requested information.
Specifically, I would like to know if the IPSA consulted with the PRU to
understand the potential impact of releasing this information on their
commercial interests.

I kindly ask that you carry out an internal review of your response and
consider the points raised in this email. Please keep me informed of the
progress of this review and respond within the statutory 20 working days.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Yours sincerely,

Stuart

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Ayre

Please find attached the response

Yours sincerely

Alison Benson

Information Governance Officer

[1]www.theipsa.org.uk 

[2]@ipsauk 

IPSA Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication from the sender is
confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others
authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in
relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful. This email has been scanned for viruses and malware by
Mimecast, but no liability is accepted for any damage caused by any virus
transmitted by this e-mail.

References

Visible links
1. http://www.theipsa.org.uk/
2. https://www.twitter.com/ipsauk