Parliamentary

18
responded to 100% of the 98 Freedom of
Information (FOI) requests we received on
IPSA’s operation and performance within
the deadline of twenty working days, and
we provided answers to 62 Parliamentary
Questions (PQs). (The comparative
figures for 2010-11 were 180 for both
FOI requests and PQs, with a response
rate within the 20 day deadline for FOI
requests of 93%.)
IPSA Achievement
In 2011 – its second year of
existence – IPSA was subject to
review by the National Audit Office,
the Public Accounts Committee
and the Committee on Members’
Expenses (in addition to its statutory
accountability to SCIPSA). We have
responded to this unusual level of
scrutiny openly, and with confidence
– clear about our strengths and
achievements but committed to
addressing any weaknesses.
Engagement with the public
32 During the reporting year, we monitored
opinion and engaged with the public in
several ways:
• as outlined above, consultation on the
review of MPs’ staffing, the review of
the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs
and Expenses and MPs’ pension
contributions;
• an online survey in October on public
perceptions of MPs’ pay, which showed
that while people generally have a
good idea about what MPs are paid,
opinion is split on the jobs to which an
MP’s salary could be linked;
• as set out below, an online survey in
March 2012 of levels of confidence
in our regulatory and operational
activities.
33 In May 2011, the National Audit Office
commissioned a question in an Ipsos
MORI General Public Omnibus Survey
and asked the public whether they
felt the situation with MPs’ expenses
had improved or deteriorated over the
preceding year. 55% said they thought
it had got better, with 14% believing it
had got worse. The NAO commented:
“While this result is likely to be partly
due to recent prosecutions of former
MPs, we believe it is reasonable to
attribute significant credit to IPSA and its
Scheme.” 1
34 Our target in this area is for increased
levels of public confidence in the
regulation of MPs’ business costs and
expenses. Our survey in March 2012
demonstrated that public confidence has
remained more or less static over the last
year, with a rise in positive responses
to some questions and a drop in others.
Overall, public confidence levels have
therefore not improved. There was,
however, a significant rise in levels of
confidence among those aware of IPSA.
35 In 2012-13 we are planning a major
engagement exercise with the public and
others as part of our full-scale review of
MPs’ pay and pensions. Planning for this
began in 2011-12 and we will be using
a number of different communication
channels. These include `citizens’ juries’
(where an issue is explained to groups of
individuals, prior to a discussion), blogs
and web discussions, and engagement
with academics and a range of other
stakeholders.
E Objective 4: Build a cost-effective
organisation with engaged and
motivated staff
36 In 2010-11 we focused on establishing
IPSA as an effective organisation. By
the end of that year, we were meeting
1
“Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: The payment of
MPs’ expenses”, National Audit Office, July 2011.
IPSA Annual Report and Accounts 2011-2012