Wednesday 26 November 2008

Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):  

To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 5th November 2008, Official Report, column 461W, on members: allowances, if she will list the circumstances in which hon. Members may (a) carry forward an unspent balance and (b) ask for an advance in respect of the communication allowance.

Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester):  

To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer of 5th November 2008, Official Report, column 461W, on members: allowances, whether the (a) carry forward and (b) advance provisions apply to expenditure transferred in to communications allowance from (i) incidental expenses provision and (ii) staffing allowance.
Chris Bryant:

The Green Book rules allow hon. Members some flexibility to transfer funds between years in respect of the Communication Allowance, the Incidental Expenses Provision and the Staffing Allowance.
In all cases Members must seek the agreement of the Department of Resources based on a specific need or circumstance.
Nine requests to carry forward funds from the Communications Allowance from 2007/08 to 2008/09 were agreed by the Department of Resources.  Eight of these were related to difficulties with contractor delivery or invoicing as the financial year came to an end. One case concerned a Member who was unavoidably absent and was unable to complete a project within the year. No Member has requested an advance of funds from a prospective financial year.

The Department of Resources would consider on its merits a request to transfer of funds from the Communications Allowance to a new financial year if the Member had previously transferred another allowance into the Communications Allowance.