Members of UK Parliament to receive iPad Air 2 following May elections

All 650 members of the British House of Commons will be given an iPad Air 2 following the general elections in May.

The distribution of iPads is part of a hardware refresh announced by the House of Commons Commission. The refresh will also include a new laptop for each member. iPads have been in use in Parliament for years already, and there are systems in place to interact with the devices, according to The Telegraph:

Commission chairman and Liberal Democrat John Thurso said that due to their use across Parliament since 2012, iPads are "integrated with current business processes and infrastructure".

Some members object to using iPads, advocating for a different digital platform, citing concerns over platform lock-in, distraction, and Apple's tax issues. In response, the Commission said that they were looking for a secure tablet that would last awhile, and would support future upgrades, criteria which the iPad Air 2 meets.

The total cost of the hardware refresh is expected to be £200,000 per year.

Source: The Telegraph