The legislation that established IPSA also provided for the creation of a Compliance Officer to investigate possible breaches of the Scheme of MPs’ Business Costs and Expenses, either by MPs or in our application of the rules.
Our Compliance Officer is wholly independent. They work two days a week and report directly to our Board.
They are responsible for:
conducting investigations if there is reason to believe an MP may have been paid an amount under the Scheme that should not have been allowed
reviewing determinations by IPSA to refuse reimbursement (in whole or in part) for an expense claim at the request of an MP
The role is confined to matters relating to the Scheme. They have no power to investigate complaints that pre-date our creation in May 2010.
Complaints relating to claims prior to May 2010 are usually handled by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
The Compliance Officer receives an annual salary of £25,000-30,000.
You can visit the Compliance Officer’s website to find out more about their role and function.