FOI 52-22: Details of the Assembly “offering” to arrange travel for MLAs to see the late Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in London
Information Standards Freedom of Information Response
Our Ref: FOI 52-22
20 October 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 27 September 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:
“Under the Freedom of Information Act, I would like to request details of the Assembly offering to arrange travel for MLAs to see the late Queen Elizabeth lying in state in London.
The Assembly offered to arrange for MLAs to attend the reception of the Queen's coffin and the lying in state at Westminster Hall:
https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/mlas-skip-queue-see-queen-25027381
Please disclose the following:
1. A list of the MLAs for which the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office paid for or arranged travel to attend the reception of the coffin on Wednesday September 14.
2. A list of the MLAs for which the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's office paid for or arranged travel to attend the lying-in state.
3. The number of Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office staff who went on the above trips.
4. The overall cost of the above trips in Q1-3.
5. A breakdown of these costs for the above trips in Q1-3, including separately the cost of flights, accommodation, taxis, public transport, food and drink.
6. A list of the MLAs who reimbursed the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office for the cost of their trip, and the overall amount reimbursed.
7. A list of the MLAs who were granted special access to Westminster Hall so that they did not have to join the miles-long queue faced by members of the public.”
1. A list of the MLAs for which the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office paid for or arranged travel to attend the reception of the coffin on Wednesday September 14.
Please note the list provided below:
Andy Allen
Andrew Muir
Deborah Erskine
Doug Beattie
Edwin Poots
Emma Little-Pengelly
Gordon Lyons
Joanne Bunting
John Blair
Keith Buchanan
Michelle McIlveen
Paul Givan
Paula Bradshaw
Stewart Dickson
2. A list of the MLAs for which the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's office paid for or arranged travel to attend the lying-in state.
Please note the list provided below:
Alex Easton
Brian Kingston
David Brooks
Emma Little-Pengelly
Gary Middleton
John Stewart
Jonathan Buckley
Maurice Bradley
Philip Brett
Robbie Butler
Robin Swann
Stephen Dunne
Thomas Buchanan
William Irwin
Gordon Lyons (costs reimbursed)
3. The number of Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office staff who went on the above trips.
Six.
4. The overall cost of the above trips in Q1-3.
£14,597.58
5. A breakdown of these costs for the above trips in Q1-3, including separately the cost of flights, accommodation, taxis, public transport, food and drink.
Flight Costs: £13,824.90
Train costs: £802.91
Hotel Costs: £349.50
Total Costs: £14,977.31
MLA Contribution to the NI Consolidated Fund: £379.73
Net Cost: £14,597.58
6. A list of the MLAs who reimbursed the Assembly/Commission/Speaker's Office for the cost of their trip, and the overall amount reimbursed.
The Assembly Commission received a reimbursement of £379.73 from Gordon Lyons MLA.
7. A list of the MLAs who were granted special access to Westminster Hall so that they did not have to join the miles-long queue faced by members of the public.
All of the devolved administrations were given an allocation of invitations to attend the Lying in State of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The list of MLAs who accepted invitations is set out in the table provided below:
Alex Easton
Brian Kingston
David Brooks
Emma Little-Pengelly
Gary Middleton
John Stewart
Jonathan Buckley
Maurice Bradley
Philip Brett
Robbie Butler
Robin Swann
Stephen Dunne
Thomas Buchanan
William Irwin
Gordon Lyons
Steve Aiken
Naomi Long
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 may appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF which will undertake an independent review.
The Assembly Commission may publish details of your FOI request and its 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
