FOI request will still be required for full disclosure of MPs expenses

Published on Thursday 22 January 2009 13:59

MPs will still not volunteer full details of their expenses despite shelving efforts to sidestep the Freedom of Information Act, under reforms being voted on by the Commons today.

Proposals from Leader of the House Harriet Harman would merely mean spending being routinely published under 26 broad categories, according to campaigners.

Itemised breakdowns would need to be extracted from the Commons authorities using FOI. Potentially this will require scores of separate requests to cover all 646 MPs, because each is subject to a cost limit for assembling information.

The Campaign for Freedom of Information insisted that the Commons should abide by the spirit of Information Tribunal and High Court rulings, which said the public were entitled to fully itemised details of how MPs used allowances for second homes.

"Parliament should follow the example set by the Scottish Parliament, which publishes a breakdown of individual expenses claims by MSPs proactively," a spokeswoman said.

"Doing so would avoid responding to multiple FOI requests and is probably the only way to repair the damage to Parliament's reputation by the attempts to avoid scrutiny."

A series of parliamentary motions tabled by Ms Harman would tighten up the allowances regime, and increase the number of categories in the House's publication scheme from 13 to 26.

However, a spokesman for Ms Harman confirmed they would not lead to receipt-by-receipt information on spending being routinely published.

Several amendments which would require the House to publish itemised breakdowns have also been tabled.

MPs will decide whether to accept the proposals in a free vote expected this evening.