Agenda and minutes

To receive Declarations of Interest from Members on items included in this agenda

There were no declarations of interest stated.

To consider the minutes of the previous meeting of this Working Group held on 8 February, 2012

Resolved:-   That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2012 be agreed as a correct record subject to an amendment to item 5 ‘Presentation – Remote Access Portal’ the first paragraph, final sentence to be amended to read “The cost of RSA tokens was £40 each”.

To receive a verbal update on the following from the Council’s ICT Operations and Development Manager:

• Flexibility of Security Certificates
• Further questionnaire results
• Cost and practicalities of the Becrypt Sticks
• Improvements to the Members Web Site
• Data Protection issue

The Council’s ICT Operations and Development Manager updated Members on issues raised at the previous meeting of this Panel.

(i)         Data Protection

Members were shown which forms they would need to complete for the data protection facility.  There was a £35 registration fee if Members needed to ‘notify’.

Members were given a copy of a news release urging Members to check their data protection obligations.

It was stated that a disclosure notice was included on staff emails.  It was suggested that this should also extend to Members.

There was a need to ensure that Members were covering themselves and the Panel enquired if the £35 could be paid by the Council.  Each Member would be a ‘data controller’ and therefore individually responsible.  Staff had one data controller – Mr Kelvin Turner, Executive Director of Resources and Support Services.  It was discussed whether the Group Leader or Council Leader could take on this role for Members.

The total cost of data protection registration to the Council would be £35 x 60 (£2100) and the issue of data protection could have a reputational risk to the Council.  Members also stated that registration should be made compulsory at new induction stage.

Further, data protection should become part of the Member training process (as part of information security training).  The ICT and Operations Development Manager would investigate what other authorities were doing and would then prepare a briefing note to all group leaders.  A half hour session would be held prior to the next Council meeting.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the information be received and the comments noted.

                        (b)       That the Council’s Member Training and Development Officer, liaise with the Chief Executive and the Leader of the Council to enquire what liability the Council had and how data protection should be approached.  In addition, the Panel felt that the £35 fee should be paid by the Council.

                        (c)        That data protection be included in Member training.

                        (d)       That public liability insurance for individual Members be investigated.

                        (e)       That the Council’s ICT and Operations Development Manager include data protection in information security training and that a half hour training session be arranged prior to the next Council meeting.

                        (f)         That a briefing note be prepared and sent to all group leaders for discussion.

(ii)        Members’ Website

Members felt that the Members’ website did not contain information which they felt would be most useful to them.  The Council’s Senior e?Communications Officer, had stated that he could attend the meeting of the Panel to discuss what information could be provided.  However, Members requested that the website be redesigned first and any comments be brought back to a future meeting.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the website be updated and any comments from Members be made at a future meeting.

                        (b)       That a short cut key be provided to the website.

(iii)       Becrypt Sticks

Members were advised that the cost of the sticks was £110 and token £40, giving a total of £150 per  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Members were provided with a copy of the proposed three day – New Members Induction programme.

Members agreed to the programme and requested that the Code of Conduct for social media and representing the Council on outside bodies be included.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the information be received.

                        (b)       That the Code of Conduct on Social Media and representing the Council on outside bodies be included into the programme.

Consideration was given to the revised structure for Elected Member Development and Personal Development Plans.

Members agreed that a minimum of 24 hours training per Member per year be enforced.  Training hours would include modern.gov, quasi judicial training etc.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the information be received.

                        (b)       That the 24 hours minimum training requirement be enforced.