This guidance gives examples of the kinds of information that we would expect the House of Commons to provide in order to meet its commitments under the model publication scheme. We would expect the House to make the information in this definition document available unless:
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it does not hold the information;
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the information is exempt under one of the FOI exemptions or Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) exceptions, or its release is prohibited under another statute;
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the information is archived, out of date or otherwise inaccessible; or,
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it would be impractical or resource-intensive to prepare the material for routine release.
The guidance is not meant to give a definitive list. The legal commitment is to the model publication scheme, and authorities should look to provide as much information as possible on a routine basis.
In relation to the classes of information there are two areas for consideration; the work undertaken by Members of Parliament themselves and decisions made by the Clerk of the House about administrative and financial matters.
Who we are and what we do
Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts.
We would expect information in this class to be current information only.
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Roles and responsibilities
The House of Commons should be providing both outline and detailed information about its roles and responsibilities and the roles and responsibilities of those working there at senior level.
An explanation of the internal structures of the House referring to its functions, and how the structure relates to the roles and responsibilities. This should cover: the committee structure of the legislature; the management structure with particular reference to the Commission, the Management Board, and the Clerk of the House; and, administrative arrangements.
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Members of the House of Commons
Details of those who sit in the Commons as members of the legislature. Membership of committees. Composition of the House by reference to party.
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Contact details for the House of Commons
Where possible named contacts should be provided.
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Information relating to the legislation or conventions relevant to the functions of the House of Commons
What we spend and how we spend it
Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.
We would expect as a minimum that financial information for the current and previous two financial years should be available.
If money is allocated to specific cost centres within the House and it assists in understanding how public money is spent, the House should consider publishing it.
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Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Budget estimates and requests for resources for the cost of running the House of Commons and its staff, together with statements indicating what has been spent. Financial information should be published at least annually and, where practical, we would also expect half yearly or quarterly financial reports to be provided. Revenue budgets and budgets for capital expenditure should be included.
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Expenses and allowances schemes and amounts paid to Members of Parliament
Details of the schemes for the payment of expenses and allowances to MPs. While some details of the expenses paid to individuals should not be disclosed without consent, we would expect to see that the public have ready access to at least the totals,
by reference to categories,
paid to and incurred by individual MPs on an annual basis.
Categories will be under such headings as travel, subsistence, accommodation. Any consultation or review procedures considering these items should also be published.
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Staff allowances and expenses produced in line with the House of Commons’ policies.
Details of the allowances and expenses that can be claimed or incurred. It should include the total of the allowances and expenses, by reference to categories, paid to individual members of senior staff in line with the policies of the House. Categories will be under such headings as travel, subsistence, accommodation.
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Workforce pay and grading details
Salaries should be shown by band.
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Procurement procedures
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Lists of contracts awarded and their value
We would normally expect the House to publish details only of contracts that are large enough to have gone through formal tendering.
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Financial statements for projects and events
What are our priorities and how are we doing
Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews.
We would expect information in this class to be available at least for the current and previous three years.
An indication of how business is allocated to the House and its committees. Calendars of business to be conducted. The legislative programme. The Commission’s corporate plan and other plans about the provision of administrative and financial services.
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House of Commons Commission Annual Report
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Organisational, service provision and performance reviews
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Progress reports
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Statistics
Statistics the House keeps to indicate work being undertaken.
How we make decisions
Decision making processes and records of decisions.
We would expect information in this class to be available at least for the current and previous three years.
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Records of meetings and proceedings
Records of proceedings of the House and its committees, minutes of the Board of Management and the Commission. This excludes information that is properly regarded as private to the meeting.
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Reports and papers provided for consideration at meetings
This excludes information that is properly regarded as private to the meeting.
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Internal communications guidance, criteria used for decision making, internal instructions, manuals and guidelines
If access to internal instructions, manuals and guidelines for dealing with the business of the House would assist public understanding of the way decisions are made, these should be readily available. We would not expect information that might damage the operations of the House to be revealed.
Our policies and procedures
Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.
We would expect information in this class to be current information only.
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Policies and procedures for the conduct of the business of the House
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Policies and procedures for the provision of services
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Policies and procedures for the recruitment and employment of staff
Codes of practice, codes of conduct, memoranda of understanding and the like should be included. A number of policies, for example equality and diversity and health and safety, will cover both the provision of services and the employment of staff. If vacancies are advertised as part of recruitment policies, details of current vacancies will be readily available. Policies and procedures for handling requests for information will be included.
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Records management and personal data policies
This will include information security policies, records retention, destruction and archive policies, and data protection (including data sharing) policies.
Standards for providing services, including the complaint procedure. Complaints procedures will include those covering requests for information and operating the publication scheme.
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Charging regimes and policies
Details of any statutory charging regimes should be provided. Charging policies should include charges made for information routinely published. They should clearly state what costs are to be recovered, the basis on which they are made, and how they are calculated.
Lists and registers
We expect this to be information contained only in currently maintained lists and registers.
This should list any public registers the House of Commons holds and how to access them.
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Asset registers and information asset register
We would not expect the House to publish all details from all asset registers. We would expect some information from capital asset registers to be available. If the House has prepared an information asset register for the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005, it should publish the contents.
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Registers of interests
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Register of gifts and hospitality provided to members and senior personnel
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FoIA disclosure log
If the House produces a disclosure log indicating the information provided in response to requests, it should be readily available. Disclosure logs are recommended as good practice.
The services we offer
Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters.
Generally this is an extension of part of the first class of information. While the first class provides information on the roles and responsibilities of the House of Commons, this class includes details of the services which it provides, internationally, nationally and locally as a result of them. It will benefit the public to have ready access, for example, to everything from the services provided as part of the legislature to the information readily available at a public counter. The starting point would normally be a list or lists of the services that the House is responsible for, linked to details of these services.
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Legislative procedures
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Scrutiny of the government
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Election procedures
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Records and archives
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Library research papers
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Ceremonies and occasions
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Visits
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Advice and guidance
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Media releases
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Leaflets and booklets
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Details of the services for which the House is entitled to recover a fee together with those fees.
Version 2
23 October 2008
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