Former Caithness civic head and Labour stalwart John Rosie lost his Thurso Central seat on the Highland Council in local government elections five years ago. But the council continued to pay for the landline he earlier used for official business until he was re-elected as an independent member in May 2007.

Mr Rosie and former independent councillor for Beauly and Strathglass Gary Coutts, who resigned from the council to take up the role of NHS Highland chairman in 2004, accumulated a total bill of £1610 for their phones while out of office.

Mr Rosie told the Caithness Courier that the phone had been kept in a spare bedroom which he used as an office.

"I don't know why the company didn't disconnect the phone. It seems to be that there were a number of phones that the company didn't disconnect and one of those was mine. I knew initially that it was live, and latterly I did, but we certainly weren't using it. I have my own telephone that I use for personal calls," he explained.

"I can't put my hand on my heart and say that no-one has ever used it but if they have I will pay for the calls. It's not a problem. I have told the finance people to check right back."

A recent statement released by the local authority said that the Highland Council accepted it was at fault for not disconnecting the line after Mr Rosie left in 2003.

The council, meanwhile, has apologised for any embarrassment caused to Mr Coutts following the mix-up.

Mr Coutts believed it had been arranged for NHS Highland to take over the cost of the landline when he was appointed chairman. A local authority spokesman said: "On resigning from the council in 2004, Mr Coutts made an arrangement whereby NHS Highland would pick up the rental and calls. Initial discussions took place over the transfer of ownership. This proved to be a complicated and time-consuming exercise.

"Regretfully, this was not followed up to a final conclusion and the council accepts full responsibility for not finalising this request. Mr Coutts would have been unaware that the council was still picking up the bill. The council regrets any embarrassment caused to Mr Coutts."

An agreement has been reached with NHS Highland over recovery of the money.

An internal review of councillors' expenses presented at a meeting of the Highland Council's audit and scrutiny committee last month also revealed the cost of fixed telephone lines of 38 former members who left the council in May 2007 had continued to be paid.

It gives details of a £244 bill for the telephone at a councillor's former residence, vacated two years ago, which was only disconnected on July 17.

Members of the council are entitled to a landline and mobile phone for council business. In future, councillors who fail to get re-elected or leave the council will have one week after the election to transfer the line to their own name or the line will be terminated.

A Highland Council spokesman explained: "The council was aware, on all accounts, that the bills were still being paid. Equipment such as laptop computers and fax machines were recovered timeously and refurbished to be issued to the new councillors.

"The 38 councillors who had left the Highland Council did not therefore have any equipment connected to the council line. However, the council accepts there was a delay [in ceasing some of the lines] and action has been taken to ensure this does not happen in the future."

The spokesman said that the council has a telephone contract with Fujitsu – its ICT providers – for a managed service with BT. Fujitsu was instructed to install a dedicated broadband telephone line in the home of councillors for official business.

The service can be used for laptop computers, fax machines and telephones, while the bills for rental and calls are sent by Fujitsu to the Highland Council.

"The bills are checked and paid by the council and a copy is normally sent to individual councillors to check and sign. Personal calls will be identified and reimbursed to the council through their expenses," said the spokesman.

"It should be noted, however, that no accounts were sent to Mr Rosie, Mr Coutts or the 38 other councillors so they had no indication that bills were being paid and there is no suggestion of them benefiting from the line remaining."

e.mackay@nosn.co.uk

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---