Berinsfield Parish Council Laptop Purchase

Berinsfield Parish Council is aware that residents have raised questions regarding the purchase of a laptop for use by the Clerk in carrying out Parish Council business. The Parish Council welcomes appropriate scrutiny of how public funds are spent and is pleased to provide further information about the decision.

Why was a laptop required?

The Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer is the Parish Council’s only employee and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Parish Council. This includes financial management, preparation of agendas and minutes, management of the Parish Council’s website and social media, production of newsletters, notices and publicity material, cemetery administration, allotment management, planning consultation, project management, procurement, correspondence, video conferencing and the operation of a number of specialist software packages.

The laptop purchased is the Clerk’s principal working computer and is used solely for Parish Council business.

How was the laptop chosen?

Before any purchase was made, the Clerk undertook a review of the Parish Council’s IT requirements and invited specialist IT suppliers to provide quotations for replacement equipment.

The quotations received formed part of a wider proposal which also included hardware for Parish Councillors to enable completely digital meetings and reduce future expenditure on printing and postage.

Following consideration of those proposals, Berinsfield Parish Council concluded that providing hardware for councillors did not represent sufficient value for money and decided not to proceed with that element of the proposal.

However, all three quotations confirmed that a laptop meeting the Parish Council’s operational requirements would cost more than the laptop ultimately purchased.

Why was this particular laptop purchased?

Following approval by the Parish Council, the Clerk carried out further due diligence to ensure that the best available price was obtained before placing an order.

As a result, the same laptop was sourced elsewhere for £999.99 including VAT, which was £99.01 lower than the amount approved by the Parish Council.

As Berinsfield Parish Council is able to reclaim VAT, the net cost to the Parish Council was £833.33.

The Parish Council considered this represented excellent value for money when compared with the quotations obtained from specialist IT suppliers and with the cost of purchasing an equivalent business laptop of similar specification.

Why is it described as a “gaming” laptop?

Some residents have understandably queried the use of the word “gaming”.

The term “gaming” forms part of the manufacturer’s product description and refers to the hardware specification rather than the intended use of the computer.

The laptop was not purchased for gaming purposes and is used solely for Parish Council business.

When comparing laptops with similar processing power, memory, storage capacity and build quality, it was found that this model represented better value for money than a number of equivalent business laptops.

The description used within the Parish Council minutes reflects the manufacturer’s official product name, which is also used for the Parish Council’s asset register and inventory.

Why was a higher specification laptop considered necessary?

The Parish Council considered not only the immediate requirements of the Clerk’s role but also the expected lifespan of the equipment.

The laptop is required to operate reliably throughout the working day whilst running numerous applications simultaneously, including financial software, Microsoft Office applications, website management systems, video conferencing, design software, cloud-based document management and large electronic records.

It is also transported regularly between the Parish Council office, meetings, the Sports Pavilion, cemetery and other locations across the parish. The Parish Council therefore considered it appropriate to purchase equipment capable of providing reliable performance and a long operational life rather than selecting a lower-cost machine that may require earlier replacement.

Does the laptop belong to the Clerk?

No.

The laptop is, and will remain, the property of Berinsfield Parish Council.

It has been purchased using Parish Council funds, recorded on the Parish Council’s asset register and forms part of the Parish Council’s insured assets.

It has been issued to the Clerk solely for the purpose of carrying out Parish Council duties. Should the Clerk cease to be employed by Berinsfield Parish Council, the laptop would remain the property of the Parish Council.

Commitment to transparency

Berinsfield Parish Council remains committed to openness and transparency in all of its financial decisions.

Residents who have any questions regarding this or any other expenditure incurred by Berinsfield Parish Council are encouraged to contact the Clerk, who will be pleased to assist.

Email: clerk@berinsfield-pc.gov.uk
Telephone: 07491 152091