Councillors have access to PCs in the Civic Centre, but there is a proposal circulating among Councillors to provide us all with additional lap-top, a dongle, printers and data sticks after the election. The total cost would between £95,636 and £142,436 over the next 4 years. We are told that we all need dedicated Council lap-tops as that is the only way we can get into the secure intranet and emails. But people who work for large companies and the NHS, when they are working from home, get into their employers secure intranet from their home emails, using security systems that cost a fraction of the cost of a load of new hardware. I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low).
In these cash-strapped times, is it really right that scarce funds should be provided for this purpose?
Oooooh, let's make a political point why don't we. Such profligacy amongst our current council. Why, it's just disgraceful. Absolutely. Shouldn’t be allowed. Never happened before. Hang on, let’s have a moment to pause and consider this. THE most wasteful of taxpayers’ and ratepayers’ money was your lot. The spendthrift, self serving, self indulgent, self congratulatory, self important, self promoting labour incumbents of the last administration were the very epitome of smug, self satisfied wasters. As they say – those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. Your despicable, ratepayers’ money stealing, contemptible party took us all for a ride pinned to the back of a donkey called dogma and you didn’t give it one moment’s thought for the poor, downtrodden people who actually had to go out and earn the money to keep your bankrupt ideology afloat. Well, we became sick of it and we kicked you out (deservedly so) and we will keep you out come the next election.
ReplyDeleteRe: ‘In these cash-strapped times, is it really right that scarce funds should be provided for this purpose?’
ReplyDeleteThe only reason we are cash strapped is entirely down to your glorious leader Brown. He was quick to take the credit when it was going well but, like all cowards and bullies, blames someone else when he gets it wrong. Perhaps he’d have been better off pushing the bankers off their chairs rather than poor secretaries. Basically he was a crap chancellor (and that’s not with the benefit of hindsight. I said it at the time, though no-one would believe me, that he was an incredibly stupid person to be put in charge of so much money. It is sometimes nice to be able to say ‘Told you so’) and he’s a crap PM.
Cllr Cadbury
ReplyDelete"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this"
I commented on this during a contribution I made last night to the Budget Debate.
I recall IT provision being introduced for Councillors around 2000/01 when Labour was in administration and I did not (and do not) have a problem with such a provision provided that any equipment is used appropriately and that the taxpayer gets a return on such use.
I have a laptop and a handheld device provided to me. Both add real value to the job I try to do as a ward Councillor and as a member of the administration.
In view of what you have said, I asked the Labour Group to state which Members would be handing back the equipment that they currently have and by when? Only Councillor Elizabeth Hughes responded - albeit from a sedentary position - saying she would be handing back her equipment today.
What equipment do you currently have and do you intend to give it back? If so, by when?
Cllr Bowen
I have a perfectly good computer of my own, and I resent having to have a second bit of kit cluttering up the desk. I will hand back my Council computer when I can get secure access into the Council Intranet from my own machine. Meanwhile, I am happy to pay LBH for the one provided to me.
ReplyDeleteYou only have a laptop from the Council at present? Could you confirm that this is correct and that you have nothing else, please?
ReplyDelete"Meanwhile, I am happy to pay LBH for the one provided to me."
For what length of time did you have this kit prior to this change of heart?
Mark
ReplyDeleteI have a PDA as I can't access LBH emails from my mobile due to the security restrictions. Same offer applies.
Mark - how does it work where you work? If you work from home or off-site accessing the employer's system, do you have to use their hardware, or can you use your home computer? Can you use your own PDA to access the work emails? Or do you have to use their hardware in one or other instance? I have been told by people working in both private and public sector that security access is such that staff are not required to use"closed" or dedicated laptops if they work from home or off-site.
I've been irritated by the situation for a while, and have been raising the concern about security access whenever I see an IT person including Head of Service. I'm always told that it can't be done any other way due to the systems LBH uses - which isn't going to change. The paper recently sent to all the groups with costed itemisation of the roll-out of lap-tops etc to all 60 councillors, gave us an opportunity to challenge the principle as well as the costs.
"I have a PDA as I can't access LBH emails from my mobile due to the security restrictions. Same offer applies."
ReplyDeleteI do not understand the last bit - are you making the offer to me? You would be mistaken if you were.
Can I remind you of something you said in your original posting:
"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low)."
It is not about offers now. Can you confirm that either you have Council equipment and have now agreed a mechanism for paying for this out of your allowance or have you agreed a date for handing this back? And, does this newly found stance only apply to laptops? Does it apply to all Council provided equipment?
You have not yet answered the question as to how long you have had this kit.
In answer to your question, I can access some elements of my employer's intranet from any PC but for some applications and to access the network, I must use a laptop provided along with a token (stronger authentication than password alone).
Mark
ReplyDeleteI was hoping you'd engage in the technical question - ie is it possible to access the intranet and full email system through stronger authentication methods, as an alternative to having dedicated hardware? You seem to be saying that (technically) it is as your employer has this. Could similar technology be made available to Hounslow members as an alternative to dedicated hardware? As I keep saying, I and many of my colleagues who have hardware anyway would like to see this method used instead of being required to have a Council laptop.
I have had the Council lap-to for between 5-8 years, and the PDA for about 3.5 years, not because I wanted to have this separate kit, but because I had no choice. I can hand it back as new access into the system becomes available, or pay the Council for it. For new kit, if it's not essential for access into the systems anymore, but members want to take advantage of Council prices, they should be able to purchase it.
I answered the question you put to me.
ReplyDeleteYou said:
"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low)."
10 days after making that comment, I assume by what you have said (and not said) thus far that you have neither (i) agreed a date to hand back the kit or (ii) have agreed a payment for this kit out of your allowance?
Mark
ReplyDeleteAre you deliberately avoiding answering a simple technical question? which is - will members be able to access the LBH Intranet and emails (on Outlook not owa) through personal (or any other) hardware via encryption kit? Yes or No?
Cllr Cadbury,
ReplyDelete"Are you deliberately avoiding answering a simple technical question?"
You asked me about my employer and I answered the question. You already know the answer to the other bit - which is not simple - raised in your latest posting. Of course, you are raising this to avoid a discussion on:
"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low)."
The motivation of you creating this thread is very clear. I hope your constituents and other residents read this, especially the fact that you have not answered the following:
10 days after making the comment above, it is unclear whether you have (i) agreed a date to hand back the kit or (ii) agreed a payment for this kit out of your allowance?
Cllr Bowen
Cllr Mark Bowen seems quite defiant that he & other LBH councillors are entitled to free laptops funded by the council taxpayer.
ReplyDeleteHow does his attitude square with the comment that his leader Cllr Thompson made in the Chronicle a couple of years ago, when he said "It's a fact of life that when you can't afford all the things you need, you have to tighten your belt"?
A case of "do as I do, not as I say."
Mark
ReplyDeleteI'll hand it back when I can get the funcitionality we need (access to Intranet & Outlook) without needing a dedicated lap-top. Yes it's not possible at the moment at LBH, but the system can be changed, as we know from other public and private sector organisations. You are the lead member on this, are you going to get the system changed to allow the functionality that we are asking for? Or, if not, why not?
You have already received an explanation and have admitted this for why Council equipment is needed, as is the case for other organisations I am aware of.
ReplyDeleteYour constituents will have seen you say:
"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low)."
You have said you will not be handing back the kit. Therefore to comply with the above, I trust that you will be agreeing a method of payment for the kit you use. It is 17 days since you made the above statement and most people reading this would be interested to see how much follow through there has been from you?
How much do you want for them? Laptop is c 7 years old, pda 3+
ReplyDeleteAnd no, you havn't explained what options (plural) for access into the system are technically available; how you have considered those options as being appropriate for the Council, and what option you (as lead member) have decided to go for, and why. The first we saw was a list of hardware.
"How much do you want for them? Laptop is c 7 years old, pda 3+"
ReplyDeleteStill digging, hey?
You know as well as I do, that you need to contact the Head of Democratic Services to reach such an agreement.
It is 25 days since you made the following statement:
"I feel that if people need a lap-top, and they are councillors, then they should be able to use their council allowance to pay for this (possibly using the Council's buying power to keep costs low)."
And:
"And no, you havn't explained what options (plural) for access into the system are technically available; how you have considered those options as being appropriate for the Council, and what option you (as lead member) have decided to go for, and why."
You would know the answers to this as you yourself said, "been raising the concern about security access whenever I see an IT person including Head of Service." Or have you forgotten what they told you?
After years of underinvestment, LBH now has an ICT department that means business. It has gone a great distance towards securing the operation through a new Data Centre. It also has IT Security expertise. He is providing advice on how we comply with external requirements. Based on both my knowledge and my experience elsewhere (in answer to a previous question), I have no reason to challenge the way forward. You have neither but I think it is clear why you raise this rather than follow through on the statement you made on 25 February.