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英國萊切斯特市議會近期宣布將出資近4萬英鎊為全部54名議員配備iPad，以提高工作效率并節省辦公支出。目前已有4名議員在試用iPad，明年5月有望普及到全體議員。此項計劃一經宣布便引起了熱議。有議員表示，他們每天要出席很多會議，筆記本電腦“太重”，攜帶不方便，而且電池不如iPad耐用。另外還有議員稱使用iPad辦公就可以隨時隨地通過網絡傳輸文件，省去了文件打印的步驟，這樣每年將為議會節省9萬英鎊。不過，反對派則指出，在經濟不景氣、全國都在縮減開支的時候，市議會卻用納稅人的錢購買新型的通訊設備，這是一種資源浪費，議會應該把錢用在最需要的地方。該議會此前也曾經宣布要裁減1000個工作崗位來縮減開支。
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A cash-strapped council has been criticized after it announced plans to spend nearly ￡40,000 of taxpayers' money on iPads for every councilor. |
A cash-strapped council has been criticized after it announced plans to spend nearly ￡40,000 of taxpayers' money on iPads for every councilor.
Leicester City Council is preparing to issue all 54 councilors with the Apple tablet computers from next May.
Four councilors have already been given iPads, each costing around ￡700, as a trial.
One councilor justified the move claiming her laptop was ''heavy'' making it difficult to take to several meetings a day.
Council chiefs, who are expected to axe 1,000 jobs, claim the iPads will save money.
Labor councilor Sarah Russell, who is awaiting delivery of the highest-spec 64 gigabyte model, said: ''We're trying out the iPad to see whether it improves the way we work as councilors.
''If it does, and it can replace costly printing, then the council could potentially save ￡90,000 each year. I have a laptop but it is quite heavy, meaning it is awkward to take to several meetings in a day.
''It also has to be charged much more regularly than an iPad.''
Conservative group leader Ross Grant, who has one on trial, claimed the iPad made him ''more productive''.
He said: ''The iPad has made me even more productive as a councilor.
''Whenever a constituent stops me in the street I can write down and begin researching their problem immediately on the iPad, because I'm connected to the internet right around the city.
''Also when I'm in key meetings I've asked for council agendas to be e-mailed as PDF files to the iPad so I no longer need printed documents. This could save the council money in the long term.''
But one senior councilor said: ''As soon as we all heard that three councilors were getting iPads everyone started asking for one.
''I suppose it'll be handy to have, but the expense is a little bit awkward at a time of cuts.''
Matthew Sinclair, Research Director at the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "It is right that the council should try to avoid wasting paper where they can.
"But incredible that they think that means providing councilors with flash new iPads at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds.
"A small, affordable laptop would do the same job, though it certainly wouldn't be as exciting a perk for the councilors.
"With ordinary taxpayers struggling after a decade in which council tax has nearly doubled and with grants from central government likely to be under pressure more needs to be done to ensure spending is focused on priority services and these kinds of wasteful projects are cut out. If councilors want an iPad they can buy one themselves."
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(Agencies)
（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）
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