Guidance on .gov.uk domains
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Last updated: 9 April 2025 at 09:03:27 UTC by Sophie Brouillet
We have
put together some frequently asked questions below and will continue to add to
this information to help parishes in Suffolk below. In addition you
can download this document with FAQs (this link
will take you to a shared Google drive and a live document which is being kept
up to date) which will help support a business case/report when a council
is considering these matters. In addition, we have also started to map
questions coming through to SALC below:
Councils using the SALC internal audit service will notice that auditors make reference to the use of personal email addresses and reference good practice. Whilst it is not a legal requirement for councils to have a .gov.uk domain the latest version of the Practitioner's Guide (2025) contains stronger language around the merits of moving with a view to encouraging councils to take this step. See information and links below.
The latest version contains stronger language around the merits of moving to a .gov.uk domain. The aim is to encourage local councils to consider this move. In particular at Section 5, AGS Assertion 10 — Digital and data compliance of the Guide stating "it is best practice to use .gov.uk domains for smaller authorities' emails and websites (excluding parish meetings). This helps maintain a consistent and professional image for the authority and ensures all communications are easily identifiable as coming from the authority. Using authority-owned email accounts ensures that sensitive information is handled in a controlled environment with appropriate security measures."
Click on this link to view information provided by the Parish Council domain Helper Service