APPENDIX 5
Supplementary note by the Clerk
IT FACILITIES AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE
DEVOLVED LEGISLATURES DURING ELECTION PERIODS
SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
Items provided from the Parliament budget remain
assets of the Scottish Parliament and are due for return by a
Member. Such items are designed for Parliamentary, not party-political,
work purposes. In practice, these distinctions could become difficult
to "police" in the period before actual dissolution
and during an election period.
Exact policy for use during an election period
of IT equipment and facilities provided from the Parliament budget
has yet to be determined. There is clearly a case for allowing
essential work to continue: this would need to be weighed against
concerns about use for party political purposes and the need for
the Parliament to retain its assets. Remote Access to the Scottish
Parliament network using equipment purchased privately or through
the Local Cost Allowance would be one way of achieving this balance.
Policy on other issues, such as what to do with
e-mails sent to outgoing Members, closure of user accounts, clearing
of data stores, has not yet been fully defined.
NORTHERN IRELAND
ASSEMBLY
Equipment provided by the IT Office and funded
out of the Assembly budget is only recovered from a Member one
he or she loses his seat; this is for the convenience of not having
to collect equipment from Members who are likely to be re-elected.
Members are supposed to use such equipment for casework rather
than for party political purposes.
Between dissolution and election of a new Assembly,
although Members may retain hardware provided by the Assembly's
IT Office, they would not be supported by the helpdesk, would
no longer have access to the Assembly network and would have their
e-mail and Internet accounts suspended.
Equipment purchased by Members using their Office
Costs Allowance may be used for whatever purposes Members choose
and may be retained indefinitely. Access to the Assembly network
would cease at dissolution.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES
Under Section 2(5)(b) of the Government of Wales
Act 1998, AMs remain Members up until the day before an election.
They may therefore continue to make full use of all facilities
and may continue to draw salaries and allowances.
6 November 2000
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