Decisions 20 July 2009

Present:

The Speaker, in the Chair
Sir Stuart Bell
Mr Alan Duncan
Nick Harvey
Leader of the House
Mr David Maclean

1. REVIEW OF PAST ACA PAYMENTS (MEC)

The Committee agreed that the review by Sir Thomas Legg should be extended to cover 2008/09. It also agreed that the review should not cover payments which were under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards or the police.

2. FOI PUBLICATION ON ALLOWANCES (MEC)

The Committee agreed that in late autumn the following should be published at the same time (subject to contracts for preparing the information for publication being in place in time):

• line-by-line data on 2008/09 claims with the original receipts and claims for ACA;
• line-by-line data on the Scottish Parliament model for the first two quarters of 2009/10 with the original receipts and claims for ACA;
• the list of repayments, with any explanations Members wished to offer; and
• the report of the review of past ACA payments.

Original receipts and claims for IEP and Communications Allowance in 2008/09 and 2009/10 would be published later. The published material would indicate whether a Member's second home was in London or the constituency and if the address had changed during a particular month.

3. INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PALACE

The Commission took note of the paper.

4. COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT

The Commission agreed its annual report.

5. HOUSE EMPLOYMENT OF MEMBERS' STAFF: HEADS OF REPORT

The Commission discussed the heads of report. It agreed that the submissions should be published and used in the report in anonymised form.

6. POSTING OF PARLIAMENTARY MATERIAL ON YOUTUBE ETC

The Commission recommended that Mr Speaker sign the draft licence variation.

7. CHILDCARE

The Commission agreed that a specific proposal should be brought to its next meeting for short-term childcare to be available to Members at short notice. This was to be paid for by Members but to have some core funding in recognition of the likely irregularity of demand.

8. WATER FOR COMMITTEE ROOMS

The Commission agreed that existing arrangements should continue.

9. SWINE FLU PLANNING

The Commission took note of the paper. It also noted the proposal for a possible 'virtual statement' on an informal basis during the summer recess.

10. FOI REQUEST FOR MEAC PAPER (MEC)

The Committee agreed that the NAO's Management Report on the Members Estimate should not be disclosed.

11. GURNEY'S

The Commission took note of the paper.

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS: SURVEY OF SERVICES

The Commission agreed that the latest Survey of Services should be published.

13. CHANGE OF DATE OF NOVEMBER MEETING

The date of the Commission/MEC meeting in November was changed from 16 November to 23 November.

14. NEXT MEETING

The next meeting of the Commission/MEC will take place at 5.00 pm on Monday 19 October 2009 in Speaker's House.