Issue - decisions

Received a reference from the Scrutiny Management Board (SMB) on its consideration of the Call-In received with respect to the Executive's decision of 25 December 2003 clarifying the issues associated with Members’ Telephones (Minute 206 refers).

After weighing up the information presented, the SMB concluded: that:

(i)  All Members should be treated equally in relation to the provision and related costs of telephones for Council business use, and as such all costs should be borne by Members from their Members’ allowances;

(ii)  There should be no exception to this rule, either now or in the future, and accordingly a) those with mobile telephones provided by the Council should be required to discontinue their use and hand them back, and b) the one remaining Centrex line connection should be disconnected;

(iii)  Should any Member position require a mobile telephone or other similar means of contact or communication, the Member holding that position should personally purchase the necessary equipment and pay for all costs, again making use of their basic or, where appropriate, special responsibility allowance.

The Chief Executive advised that the conclusions of the SMB were subject the Council’s Constitution, and on that basis we

Agreed to revise the original decision concerning telephones for Members accordingly, that is by reconfirming the original decision number 1 in relation to the telephone handsets provided with the computer equipment, but deleting 2 and 3 and replacing them with i), ii) and iii) above. 

The original decision number 4 is unaffected as this relates to IT support for Members and not telephones.

Further to Minute 121 (23 September 2003), received a report on Members’ telephones and the possible introduction of an ‘Out of Hours’ IT support facility.

The report addressed a number of concerns previously expressed by Members in relation to telephones and set out the possible advantages / disadvantages and cost implications of several options.

It also outlined a proposal for the provision of ‘Out of Hours’ IT support for Members, including a help desk facility together with a ‘mobile technician’.

Agreed, in order to clarify the issues associated with Members’ telephones, that:

1. If they wish, when the new ADSL computer connections are made, Members be allowed to keep and use the telephone handset, already provided, for incoming calls only at no extra charge to the Council (Option Two);

2. Members are generally expected to continue to use their own private telephones for Council business calls and to meet all related costs from their Basic Allowance;

3. Notwithstanding 1 and 2 above, no change be made to the current allocations of mobile telephones and connections to the Centrex system, as set out in the report; and

4. An ‘Out of Hours’ IT support for Members not be provided at this time.