Sponsorship, contributions or cash donations to Members or Parties from corporations such as pharmaceuticals for the past 5 years

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FOI 3-22

31 January 2022

Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”)

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 4 January 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:

“I would like to request some information under Freedom Information Act 2000.

Thereafter, I am looking for figures that MLA’s and MP’s have received in funding, sponsoring or any other kind of cash income from corporations such as pharmaceuticals for the past 5 years.

I would like to receive information about the above query regarding political parties from Sinn Fein to DUP. I am mainly focused on people such as Robin Swann, Michelle O’Neill and the new leader of DUP as well as Naomi Long.

If you do not hold this information, please direct me to an organisation or a person who holds such data.”

Any funding or donations received would have to be declared within the Register of Members’ Interests by any named Member of the Legislative Assembly. I have included a link to the Register for Members’ Interests held by the Assembly Commission.

However, in order to provide advice and assistance under section 16 of the FOIA 2000, you may also wish to view the MP Register of Financial Interests and I have also provided a link to the Electoral Commission website.

You have the right to request a formal review by the Assembly Commission and if you wish to do so, please write to me at the above address.

If after such an internal review you are still unhappy with the response, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF who will undertake an independent review.

The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and our official response within the organisational disclosure log. The request will be completely anonymised and you will not be identified in any way. This is to meet the requirements as laid out by in the agreed publication scheme with the Information Commissioners’ Office.

Yours sincerely

INFORMATION STANDARDS