CASH-STRAPPED Durham County Council is to spend more than £170,000 to provide councillors with computers in their homes.

All 61 members of the Labour-run authority will be offered a computer with e-mail, Intranet and Internet access, as well as a desk, chair and a combined fax machine, printer and scanner.

The council estimates that the scheme will cost £174,175 to set up and £104,635 a year to run.

The news follows a 14.8 per cent hike in the portion of the council tax bill that goes to County Hall.

Some councillors are worried how they will justify the scheme to irate voters, but others say the council has to keep up with the communications revolution.

The Government is urging councils to embrace new technology as much as possible.

Last year, the council attracted bitter protest after announcing plans to close 16 of its 25 residential homes, rather than upgrade them at a cost of £60m.

It will provide six extra-care units for the elderly, but the closure plans affect 500 residents and will result in 290 job losses.

Councillors have computers in their offices at County Hall, but the authority believes the new scheme will enable them to work efficiently from home, which is particularly important for members who also have jobs, as well as reducing the amount of paper used each year.

Dawdon councillor Alan Fenwick told the council's cabinet: "I think I need one (a computer) and I want one, but how am I going to explain to people we are spending this when we have put the council tax up by 14.8 per cent. I think the expenditure for this is way out of order.''

Liberal Democrat leader Nigel Martin said: "We have to say to the public that is in their interests in order for members to represent them effectively.

"I find it more effective to communicate with officers and get information by electronic means than by picking up the telephone.''

Cabinet member Christine Smith said: "We are encouraging the public to be more computer literate and we need to be able to converse with the public ourselves electronically. It helps make local government more accessible to the public.'