FOI 42-26: A request for information in relation to EV charger bookings at Parliament Buildings

Information Standards Freedom of Information Response

Our ref: FOI 42-26

21 August 2026

Freedom of Information Act 2000 

I am writing to confirm that the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission (Assembly Commission) has processed your request dated 19 June 2026 in line with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). In your request, you asked for the following information:

‘…[F]or the period from 28 November 2025 to 5 June 2026:

1. The names of any MLAs who requested a booking slot (or had a booking slot requested on their behalf) for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings.

2. For each MLA above, please provide the dates for which the charging slots were requested, and if applicable whether the booking was for a morning or afternoon session.

3. The names and job titles of any senior Assembly or Assembly Commission staff who requested a booking slot for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings. For each of these staff members, please provide the dates for which the charging slots were requested.

4. The number of MLA staff or party support staff who requested a booking slot for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings, and for each employee, the number of dates for which the charging slots were requested.'

Our response

The Assembly Commission holds information in relation to your request from 25 November 2025 to 5 June 2026.

1. The names of any MLAs who requested a booking slot (or had a booking slot requested on their behalf) for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings.

The following MLAs requested a booking slot, or had a booking slot requested on their behalf, for an EV charging point during this period—

  • Robbie Butler MLA
  • Pam Cameron MLA
  • Trevor Clarke MLA
  • David Honeyford MLA

2. For each MLA above, please provide the dates for which the charging slots were requested, and if applicable whether the booking was for a morning or afternoon session.

The Assembly Commission considers that information relating to the dates on which bookings were made by Members or whether a Member booked for a morning or afternoon slot is exempt from disclosure under section 38(2) of the FOIA, which provides as follows—

(1) Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to—
(a) endanger the physical or mental health of any individual, or
(b) endanger the safety of any individual

The Assembly Commission considers that disclosure of the specific pattern of bookings made by each of these Members would be likely to endanger their safety by publicising an established pattern of behaviour when combined with other information in the public domain.

Section 38 is a qualified exemption, and the Assembly Commission has considered whether the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

The factors which favour maintaining the exemption are—

  • to disclose the particulars of bookings by Members would, should that information be put to improper use, compromise Members’ safety by establishing a pattern of behaviour relating to their personal routines.
  • the potential harm that may be caused to a Member outweighs the public interest in the routine details of the administration of the EV charging arrangements at Parliament Buildings.

The factors which favour disclosure of the information are—

  • there is a strong public interest in openness and transparency in relation to Members’ use of the EV charging arrangements at Parliament Buildings.

3. The names and job titles of any senior Assembly or Assembly Commission staff who requested a booking slot for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings. For each of these staff members, please provide the dates for which the charging slots were requested.

Some of this information is exempt from disclosure under section 40(2) of the FOIA, which provides that information is exempt information if it constitutes personal data of which the applicant is not the data subject and satisfies one of three conditions. ‘Personal data’ is defined by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

The Assembly Commission is satisfied that the condition set out at section 40(3A)(a) of FOIA is satisfied in respect of the information withheld. The condition is that ‘disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under this Act…would contravene any of the data protection principles…’

The data protection principles are set out at Article 5 of the UK GDPR. The first principle is that processing of personal data must be fair, lawful and transparent. Processing is ‘lawful’ under the first principle if it satisfies one or more of the conditions at Article 6 of the UK GDPR.

The provision of EV charging was a benefit made available by the Assembly Commission to all employees. This benefit is recognised by HMRC as exempt from tax and national insurance. To publish the names and job titles of employees who availed of a lawful employment benefit, regardless of their seniority, would not be consistent with the first data protection principle.

However, information relating to the dates of Assembly Commission staff bookings for EV charging facilities at Parliament Buildings, and the number of requests on each date between 2 December 2025 and 5 June 2026, is attached at Appendix A. These figures exclude cancellations and duplicate bookings.

4. The number of MLA staff or party support staff who requested a booking slot for an EV charging point behind Parliament Buildings, and for each employee, the number of dates for which the charging slots were requested.

Two MLA staff or party support staff requested EV charging slots in the period for which records are held, one on 22 dates and one on two dates.

Further Information

You may 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 sincerely,

INFORMATION STANDARDS