Election 2010: Commons makes a meal of expenses' delay

Published on Friday 9 April 2010 23:14

MPs have blocked the publication of details about their debts to the House of Commons until after the General Election.

Dozens were set to be named and shamed for having had restaurant tabs outstanding with the publicly funded Commons for months on end. Some are thought to run to thousands of pounds.

But, after more than six months of delays in releasing the details after a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the Commons said yesterday that they would not be provided until after 6 May, when many MPs will leave Westminster.

Food and drink in the Commons is already subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of about 6 million a year, roughly half the catering budget. But hundreds of MPs owe the refreshment department for unpaid food and drink bills.

Last summer, 329 owed 138,046 among them, according to previous releases under the FOI act. They included 77 MPs who have failed to settle 45,150 worth of tabs for more than six months.

After a further request for the names and details of each MP owing money, the Commons delayed responding for many months, while exploring its legal avenues under the Data Protection Act.

It agreed only last month to release the details of MPs owing money for 90 days or more – after communications from the Information Officer's Office saying the delays were unacceptable.

Bob Castle, the head of information rights and information security at the Commons, said yesterday that the House was still checking the details it had were correct.

And, he said, when Parliament is dissolved on Monday for the General Election, it would effectively cease to exist under the Freedom of Information Act.

"When Parliament has been dissolved, there is no 'House of Commons' for the purposes of Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the 2000 act, and there is therefore no 'public authority' until the House next meets," he said in a letter.

"This means that a further response under the FOI act cannot be given by, or on behalf of, the House of Commons during this period.

"The House will first meet again on 18 May and a response will be sent to you as soon as possible after that date."

The request was first submitted on 17 September last year.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, public bodies must meet requests within 20 working days or refuse and state why they feel they are exempted in that instance.