FoI 27-25: Information in regards to details of constituency office staff turnover for each MLA from May 2022 to present

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

2 April 2025

Our ref: FoI 27-25

Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 10 March 2025 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked that the Assembly Commission provide-

"I wish to request details of constituency office staff turnover for each MLA.

For the period from May 2022 to present, and for each individual MLA (both elected and co-opted), please disclose the following:

- The total number of new/unique staff members they have employed for at least some point during this period."

Our response

This Assembly Commission holds some information relevant to your request.

The Assembly Commission does not record information in respect of Members' staff turnover.

However, details of Members' employees in this period may be obtained from consideration of the A1 and DC1 Forms published to you in response to FOI 65-22, FOI 12-25 and FOI 13-25. This information is therefore exempt from disclosure under section 21 of the FOIA as it is reasonably accessible by other means.

Further Information

You have the right to request an internal review of this decision by the Assembly Commission. If you wish to request such a review, please write to me at the above address. If, after that review, you are dissatisfied with the way in which the Assembly Commission has handled your request for information, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Your request for information and our response may be published in the disclosure log maintained by the Assembly Commission under a publication scheme agreed with the ICO. The request and our response will be anonymised.

Yours faithfully

INFORMATION STANDARDS