FOI 54-22: Individuals or Members who travelled to London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our Ref: FOI 54-22

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 02 October 2022 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In your request, you asked:

“I understand the assembly paid for a number of individuals to travel to London during the week of the Queens death.

Please provide the following.

1. Number of individuals assembly funded travel for.

2. Names of MLAs who availed of the funding.

3. Names and positions of any others who travelled.

4. Total cost of providing travel to London.

5. Breakdown of cost to include flights and accommodation.

6. A copy of the scheme under which the travel was authorised”

1. Number of individuals assembly funded travel for.

2. Names of MLAs who availed of the funding.

All of the devolved administrations were given an allocation of invitations to attend the Reception of the Coffin and the Lying in State of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Some invitations were also received to attend the State Funeral.

The Assembly Commission funded travel for the following MLAs to attend the Reception of the Coffin and the Lying in State of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:

Alex Easton

Andrew Muir

Andy Allen

Brian Kingston

David Brooks

Deborah Erskine

Doug Beattie

Edwin Poots

Emma Little-Pengelly

Gary Middleton

Gordon Lyons*

Joanne Bunting

John Blair

John Stewart

Jonathan Buckley

Keith Buchanan

Maurice Bradley

Michelle McIlveen

Paul Givan

Paula Bradshaw

Philip Brett

Robbie Butler

Robin Swann

Stephen Dunne

Stewart Dickson

Thomas Buchanan

William Irwin

* reimbursed

3. Names and positions of any others who travelled.

Alex Maskey, Speaker; Lesley Hogg, Clerk/Chief Executive; Gareth McGrath, Director of Parliamentary Services; Robin Ramsey, Advisor to the Speaker, Frank Geddis, Clerk Assistant and 3 other members of staff.

4. Total cost of providing travel to London.

£16,156.33£16,156.33

5. Breakdown of cost to include flights and accommodation.

Flight Costs: £14,405.17

Train Costs: £889.91

Other Costs: £73.48

Hotel Costs: £1,167.50

Total Costs: £16,536.06

MLA Contribution to the NI Consolidated Fund: £379.73

Net Cost: £16,156.33

6. A copy of the scheme under which the travel was authorised

All travel in relation to Assembly business is organised centrally and funded from the Assembly Commission’s budget, as part of its statutory duties, under section 40 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, to provide services to the Assembly or ensure the Assembly is provided with the services it requires.

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