Contact: Jon Pittam, ext 7400, e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The Leader agreed in September 2004 that salary sacrifice schemes for childcare vouchers and home computers should be introduced for staff from April 2005 as part of the Pay and Benefits project.

1.2 The childcare scheme with Busy Bees is now in operation. This report summarises progress on the home computer initiative, including the proposed financial arrangements for acquiring the equipment and software.

1.3 The following decisions are sought:

(i) That the purchase of the equipment and associated software for the home computer initiative be approved.

(ii) That the County Council's interest costs be recovered from employees participating in the home computer initiative scheme as a financing charge.

(iii) That the cost of purchase be charged to the revenue account, with deferred debtors raised to cover the cost outstanding at the end of each financial year, after deducting the contributions by employees, so that no costs fall to be met from the County Council's revenue budget.

2 Reason

2.1 The proposal to provide staff with home computers under the Government's salary sacrifice will be a worthwhile benefit for staff at no cost to the County Council. It will support the development of a more flexible, productive and computer literate workforce for the County Council, as well as fulfilling the Government's aim of increasing home access to computing and the internet.

2.2 This decision supports the Aim 6 of the Council's corporate strategy on developing councillors and staff.

3 Other options considered and rejected:

3.1 Not applicable

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted

4.1 Not applicable.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 Not applicable.

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Not applicable.

Approved by: ................................... ... Date: .........................

Councillor T K Thornber, CBE