[SC.LUG] Crewe-Nantwich ICT Expenditure - a call to arms.

[David Holden]

On Monday 25 October 2004 11:51, Andy Roffe wrote:


Hi Andy,

  Presumably if you are a tax payer in this region you can ask in a personal 
context rather than a supplier.

 You might also want to mention the Freedom of information act (recently used 
to make MPs tell us what they claim) which comes into force fully in 2005.

In particular the "Public interest test" for information release may be of 
use.

see

http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx?id=1024


 Dave.


> Hello all,
>
> I am aware that this is the south cheshire lug and not the
> crewe/nantwich lug but this should interest you all.
>
> After a brief one-two with a council official I was informed by crewe
> and natwich borough council that "free
> and open source software was not being considered by the council for any
> purpose now or at any time in
> the future"
> Hmmmm... thinks I. That's a rather sweeping statement. Now, normally
> I'd ignore a statement like this, after all
> it is one I hear often and there are enough people taking the opposite
> view these days.
>
> Then I saw my rates bill. Which is effectively just tax. Businesses have
> to pay rates but are not entitled to any services.
> Fair enough. But I would like to know how much of my rates go towards
> software licence fees.  So I asked the
> deputy mayor.
>
> The deputy mayor pointed us towards the boroughs' website where ICT
> budget is published.
> Over the next five years, the Council has budgeted  £1,695,000  for ICT
> expenditure.
>
> Have a look at the 5 year breakdown yourself :
> http://www.crewe-nantwich.gov.uk/pdf/yc0780_SECTION_C-Capital_Programme.pdf
>
> ICT is at the top og the second section. You will notice that the annual
> budget decreases over the five years
> with biggest slice being spent in 2004/05. Could this be the large
> initial payment required for a 5 year software licence agreement?
>
> So we asked how much of the budget was allocated to software licence
> agreements.
>
> The answer was :
> "Please note our Budget is published on our website under" your Council"
> then select "budget" and within that is the "capital programme" which
> identifies the planned ICT Capital Programme.
>  We do not give out details to suppliers of the detailed breakdown of
> investment within that budget.
>  At times we do tender for software and hard ware so it is for the
> selected suppliers to provide their tendered price."
>
> Which as you can see does not answer the question.
>
> So, why don't we all ask ??
>
> The question is :
>
> "How much of the ICT budget is spent on software licence fees"
>
> Adrress these questions to :
>
> Keith Sutton Head of ICT:  keith.sutton at crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
> Mr Maurice Jones Deputy Mayor with authority for spend on IT
> Cllr.Maurice.Jones at crewe-nantwich.gov.uk
>
> Unless of course, you don't believe that Crewe and Nantwich borough
> Council will save any money buy using FOSS software. In which case don't
> bother.
> They don't have to replace everything. Maybe just enough to employ a
> road planner who has done the job before.
>
> enjoy.
>
> Andy Roffe
>
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-- 
Dr. David Holden. (Systems Developer)
Crystallography Journals Online: <http://journals.iucr.org>

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