From time to time the Government changes the way Town and Parish Councils are run.  They do this by amending the regulations and check it is done via the yearly report all Councils have to submit which is called the Annual Governance and Accountability Return (AGAR).  Part of this report is a set of assertions with which Councils must comply.  The new Assertion 10 requires Councils to demonstrate:

• that our website has a .gov.uk domain name and that all officers and members of the council are using .gov.uk email addresses to conduct Parish Council business
• that our website meets the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2AA and must include published documentation as specified in the Freedom of Information Act (2000) and Transparency Code for Smaller Authorities.
• that the council processes personal data with care and in line with the principles of data protection
• that the council has an IT policy in place that explains how we conduct authority business in a secure and legal way when using It equipment and software.  This applies to authority owned and personal equipment.

For more information on this please read this useful guide from Aubergine who led the training for Devon Association of Local Councils.