Internet Watch Foundation

Tuesday, 12 October 2004 at 10 a.m.

At Baker and McKenzie, 100 New Bridge Street, London EC4V 6JA

Present:         Roger Darlington (Chair), Christine Atkinson, Michele Elliott, Mark Gracey, Howard Lamb, Sonia Livingstone, Hamish Macleod, Tink Palmer, Ian Walden (joined the meeting at 12.10 p.m.)

IWF Staff:      Peter Robbins (Chief Executive), Brian Wegg  

Apologies:     Jim Reynolds

Chair opened the meeting and noted the apology from Jim Reynolds.      

Chair thanked Stuart for a helpful and informative presentation.

The meeting adjourned for 15 minutes in order to hold the AGM of Internet Watch Foundation Ltd.

Approved as a true record of the meeting.

4  Matters arising - (including action summary attached)  

All three actions had been carried out or were on the main agenda.  There were no other matters arising.

Chief Executive introduced the updated plan and asked Board members to note that most of the tasks had been completed or were actively making progress. He outlined how a new plan would be presented at the January Board meeting along with the budget projections for the forthcoming financial year.   

Chief Executive explained that the changes were a tidying up operation which did not change our basic remit and followed up Board discussions on 20 July 2004.  The changes also referred to our status as a “relevant authority” under the MoU and the Sex Offences Act.  Funding Council had supported the changes but suggested that it may be helpful to clarify the clause referring to “relevant authority”.  Board approved the changes subject to the following clause referring to the IWF as a “relevant authority”:

·         acting as a relevant authority in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding concerning S46 Sex Offences Act 2003 

Board agreed that when it was necessary to use a strap line IWF would continue to use the present version. 

Chair introduced his report and invited questions.  He asked Board members to note that two non-industry members were approaching the end of their first term of office and discussions would take place with them in accordance with the constitutional procedure.  By the time of the next Board meeting, Sonia Livingstone will have served a one-year term as non-industry Vice-chair and had indicated to the Chair that she wished to stand down as Vice-chair as soon as possible.

                                          i) Subscriber spreadsheet

                                          ii) Quarterly financial summary

Chief Executive introduced his report and highlighted some issues.  He asked Board members to note that the Parliamentary corridor event had been postponed until mid-February.

Chief Executive drew attention to the government announcement about plans to include incitement to religious hatred within the Public Order Act and that the IWF had been asked to contribute to those discussions.  The same legislation and procedures dealing with reports of incitement to racial hatred had proved to be complicated and were difficult to apply to Internet content.  This would be drawn to the attention of the Home Office during the consultation on religious hatred.  

New members were noted.

Board noted that the forecast income had triggered the approved buoyant budget in accordance with the Board decision on 27 January 2004.  The quarterly financial summary was based on the buoyant budget and showed profiled forecasts and actual expenditure within main budget headings over each quarter, with any significant variances noted and explained. 

Chief Executive drew attention to the forecast surplus for this financial year and the balance carried forward from the previous financial year.   The plan to create an appropriate level of reserve from these surpluses was noted.  Chief Executive pointed out that the two-year financial outlook was stable but there should be a note of caution with regard to relying on future income from the contracts with the EU and APACs.

Hamish MacLeod asked that a balance sheet be part of the quarterly financial report to Board.

Chair introduced the report and explained that one of the main objectives of this paper had been to make the CAI data available as widely as possible to reputable organisations.  He understood from the industry Board members that Funding Council had supported bullet point five in the recommendations on a temporary basis in order to allow the completion on two licenses for IWF members to have access to the CAI data.  Funding Council asked for more time to consider all the issues and all the recommendations more fully and pointed out that the emphasis in the current recommendations were different to those in the earlier discussion paper.

Chief Executive acknowledged that there were some important matters to discuss and agree with industry colleagues and in order to enable this, he proposed a longer period for Funding Council colleagues to consider the paper.  Final recommendations could then be brought to the next quarterly Funding Council and Board meetings.

Following further discussion, Board noted that in the recommendations there remained were some important definitions to be clarified and some issues of principle to be determined. 

Board agreed that:

The joint working group to comprise Christine Atkinson, Mark Gracey, Howard Lamb, Hamish MacLeod and Ian Walden.

Board noted the paper from Executive Committee and unanimously supported the recommendation to increase the allowance from £200 per day or part thereof to £220.

Following consultations with industry colleagues, the executive had concluded that a longer period was needed to ensure views had been taken into account.  A revised timetable was circulated and the recommendations for a four week consultation period and joint working group unanimously supported.

Michele Elliott and Ian Walden to represent non-industry Board members on the working group.

12  Summary of results from recent research on behalf of IWF

Board welcomed and noted the survey and covering report.  Concern was expressed at the proportion of respondents within the IT industry who were unaware of who we are and what we did.   Chair asked Board members to feedback any further comments on the research to the executive.  Chief Executive added that the issues identified in the survey would be picked up and addressed in the communications strategy and new corporate plan. 

Chair thanked Ian Walden for making the arrangements to host the meeting.  There was no further business.

 

These were confirmed as 25^th January, 26^th April, 19^th July and 1^st November (all Tuesdays).

 

Meeting closed at 1 p.m.