Plan to give “toys” to councillors slammed (From Gazette & Herald)

Plan to give “toys” to councillors slammed

1:59pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News

A RYEDALE councillor has slammed what he described as “toys for councillors” being provided by the district council.

Coun John Clark (Lib) opposed the spending of £20,000 by the authority on a new generation of computers for councillors.

“We can manage perfectly well with the computers the council has already provided, or with our own computers,” he told last week’s full council meeting.

Coun Clark added: “It is totally wrong in the present climate. They will be out of date in a year – and they will become cheaper.”

But Coun Luke Ives (Con) said the equipment was needed.

“Our present ones are seven years old – a lifetime in the computer world,” he said.

Coun Ives warned that Ryedale District Council could face an £80,000 penalty from GCHQ, the Government’s communications headquarters, if it did not have secure computers. He claimed the purchase would save the authority £15,000 a year.

Coun Linda Cowling (Con), the council leader, accused Coun Clark of being “childish” adding: “We need the council to supply us with equipment to enable us to do our job. We do need to be compliant.”

Coun Clark’s proposal that the £20,000 earmarked for the computers should instead be put into reserves, was defeated by 11 votes to six, with seven abstentions.