Review of a determination by IPSA to refuse an expense claim to Liam Byrne MP

Date published: 9 March 2016

The Compliance Officer for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has today published his review of a determination by IPSA to refuse an expense claim submitted by the Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP.

The original claim, for the costs incurred relating to mailings, was rejected by IPSA in full on the basis that the mailings constituted newsletters, which are ineligible under the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses ('the Scheme').

The Compliance Officer has concluded that the mailings in question, entitled 'Liam's Local News' and which include an invitation to a public meeting, are newsletters and that the determination made by IPSA to refuse the claim was correct.

A full copy of the review, which includes copies of the mailings in question, can be found on the Completed Reviews page.

Notes to Editors

  1. The Compliance Officer for IPSA is an independent office holder, established as a separate public authority from IPSA under the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, as amended by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

  2. The Compliance Officers powers to conduct a review of IPSA’s determination to refuse an expense claim by an MP in whole or in part derive from Section 6A of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009 (as amended by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010). Guidance on the Review procedures are contained within the Procedures for Investigations of the Compliance Officer for IPSA (Third Edition).

  3. Details of all claims made by MPs for business costs and expenses can be found on IPSA's website.

  4. Paragraph 6.6 of the Scheme states that Office Costs Expenditure may not be claimed for newsletters.

  5. IPSA’s Press Office – 020 7811 6462.