Sir – The Craven Herald has published a statement from Cllr Lis that ‘The council (Craven District) has no choice but to comply with data protection,’ and that is true, they must either comply or commit an illegal act.

Unfortunately this statement is in the reporting of the council’s using iPads, thereby implying that unless iPads are used, the council will be in breach of data protection.

This is a palpable nonsense.

CDC councillors have been given either personal computers or money to purchase the same over some years, indeed some families have been given this money many times over.

They clearly have not been in breach of data protection – or if they have, why were they not so informed?

To now state that unless these personal computers are portable they are in breach of data protection would be laughable, were it not that it is yet another example of an unnecessary use of public funds, from a council which is now getting renowned for it.

We all remember Belle Vue Mills, the sale of land at Gargrave Road, and Number 9 High Street – why are councillors impatient to add to that catalogue of incompetent use of public assets?

However, the remedy is in the councillors’ own hands – either explain why the personal computers provided for councillors at public expense are in breach of data protection, or reject this silly scheme.

Alan Perrow, Craven Ratepayers’ Action Group (CRAG)