COUNCILLORS in the Bristol area could be given iPads to cut the amount spent on printing and sending documents.

North Somerset Council is considering giving all 61 of its members laptops or iPads, while Bristol City Council is also holding trials of the tablet computers over the next few months.

One North Somerset councillor has already called for members to foot the bill for any new computer equipment themselves, instead of taxpayers, as planned.

In Bristol members of the Liberal Democrat cabinet and members of the overview and scrutiny committee will take part in the trial.

Bristol's cabinet has eight full members plus two assistant cabinet members.

To supply all 18 of them with iPads at a typical cost of £450 each would mean £8,100 of free technology being handed over, on top of the nearly £400,000 of tax payers' money they already receive every year.

It is not clear whether the tax payer would also have to fund the cost of any additional programmes or "apps" that might need to be installed to view all forms of documents.

The 18 cabinet and overview and scrutiny committee members are currently paid approximately £390,000 a year in allowances.

Spokesman James Easey said: "The trial is being rolled out over the next few weeks. We will see how members find it using the iPads, and the aim is to cut down on the huge amounts of paper used."

The trial is expected to last a few months.

The average laptop costs in the region of £400- £500 while iPads range from £399 to £650, depending on the model. Cheaper tablet computers are available from rival manufacturers to American giant Apple for as little as £150.

North Somerset Council, which is facing slashing £47 million off its budgets, delivers the majority of its agendas and papers using an internal courier operated by its contractor Agilisys, which also delivers paperwork to schools and other council buildings.

Councillors used to get courier deliveries four times a week, but these were reduced this year to three to save money.

The authority, which has already cut £18.6 million from its budget this year, is currently scrutinising all elements of its spending in a bid to balance the books, and its corporate organisation policy and scrutiny panel is looking at personal laptops or iPads for councillors as an alternative to paper deliveries.

The cost of the laptops and internet connections would be paid by the council.

Scrutiny panel chairman David Pasley, pictured, said: "We need to cut down on the amount of paperwork issued by the authority and the costs of printing it and delivering it to members. Councillors could receive all their paperwork via e-mail."

The authority already asks councillors to read background papers for meetings on the council's website.

Clevedon councillor David Shopland said funding laptops or iPads should not come out of the public purse.

Mr Shopland, the only North Somerset councillor not to claim the basic £8,000-a-year allowance, said: "I am one of three councillors on the council that refuse to use a computer.

"If councillors want to communicate via computer or iPad they should provide their own and pay for it out of their own pocket. Why should it come out of the public purse?

"Councillors are paid an allowance to communicate with the public and the council and if that's how they want to work then they should pay for it themselves."

South Gloucestershire Council told the Evening Post there were currently no plans to provide iPads or laptops for councillors there.