Information and guidance related to data protection, elections, meetings, procurement and more.
- Council premises
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GOV.UK – Closing certain businesses and venues
GOV.UK – guidance for the safe use of multi-purpose community facilities
- Democracy and meetings
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Democracy and elections
Regulations to amend the final date for submitting this year’s revised electoral registers
Local authority meetings
- Cyber security and digital connection
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Broadband and digital connection
Ofcom: Stay connected during the coronavirus
MHCLG Local Digital Collaboration Unit: responding to the COVID-19 outbreak
Cyber security
GOV.UK – advice and guidance on fraud and cyber crime
National Cyber Security Centre:
COVID-19: cyber threat to local authorities (pdf, 14 May 2020)
- guidance on cloud security
- advice on home working
- advice on how to deal with COVID-19 related suspicious cyber activity
- top tips for staying secure online
- preparing your organisation and staff for home working
- phishing attacks: defending your organisation
- phishing attacks: dealing with suspicious emails and messages
- multi-factor authentication for online services
- mobile device guidance (VPNs)
- Data protection
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The Information Commissioner's Office: blog on data protection and the coronavirus
GOV.UK – Notification of data controllers to share information
- Parish and town councils
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NALC – coronavirus information for local (parish and town) councils
NALC – coronavirus case studies (pdf, May 2020)
- Procurement and supply chains
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Procurement
The Cabinet Office has published Procurement Policy Notes (PPN), with guidance on public procurement regulations and supplier relief due to coronavirus:
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 11/20: Reserving below threshold procurements (pdf, December 2020)
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 01/20: Responding to COVID-19
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Supplier relief due to COVID-19
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Construction contracts (pdf, 6 April 2020)
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 03/20: Use of procurement cards (pdf, April 2020)
GOV.UK – Procurement Policy Note 04/20: Recovery and transition from COVID-19
Crown Commercial Service – COVID-19: catalogue of supplier offers
GOV.UK – analysis of the National Infrastructure and Construction Procurement Pipeline 2020/21 (pdf, June 2020)
Supply chains
LGA weekly COVID-19 supply chain bulletin
LGA – protecting the local government sector supply chain from fraud
GOV.UK – supporting vital service provision in PFI and PF2 contracts during the COVID-19 emergency (pdf, 2 April 2020)
- Registrar services
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GOV.UK – guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships
Birth registration: the General Register Office confirmed on 24 March 2020 that registration of births appointments should now be deferred until we are through the current pandemic period. Customers should be advised that they can now make a claim for child benefit or universal credit prior to the birth of their child being registered.
Other ceremonies: the General Register Office confirmed on 24 March 2020 that ceremonies, including marriages, civil partnerships and citizenship ceremonies, must be suspended until such time as Government agrees that they should resume.