HC Deb 28 June 1999 vol 334 cc18-9
39. Angela Smith (Basildon)

If she will make a statement on the preparedness of the key sectors of the UK public infrastructure for the millennium bug. [87239]

40. Mr. Ben Chapman (Wirral, South)

What progress is being made on the state of readiness of the national infrastructure in preparation for the millennium date change. [87240]

The President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Mrs. Margaret Beckett)

All key sectors of the infrastructure have independent assessment programmes in place, ensuring that the UK should have one of the most objective and comprehensive pictures of readiness in the world. The outcomes of the latest assessments will be made public at the next meeting of the national infrastructure forum on Tuesday 13 July.

Angela Smith

I thank my right hon. Friend for her answer, but may I press her further with regard to the water services? Many constituents have expressed to me their concern that after the millennium partying, the continuation of services should be assured so that they can flush their loo and have a cup of tea. Can my right hon. Friend tell the House what arrangements she has put in place to ensure that there is a continuation of services and to reassure my constituents, many of whom do not have enough knowledge about the millennium bug and are understandably worried?

Mrs. Beckett

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the matter. People should know how well their electricity and water supplier is doing as we get nearer to the millennium. We expect further reporting on 13 July and more detail about the huge amount of work that has been undertaken. I am glad to be able to tell my hon. Friend that as recently as 10 June, Ofwat, which is the responsible body for the water industry, reported that it had been assessed as 100 per cent. blue—in other words, its preparations have been completed, so people should be able to flush the toilet or have a cup of tea, as they wish.

Mr. Ben Chapman

Although the independent assessment of the preparedness of key sectors of the national infrastructure is welcome and provides possibly the most comprehensive and objective review of readiness anywhere in the world, this is not a one-off event. Monitoring and preparation must take place right up to 31 December. What further steps does my right hon. Friend have in mind?

Mrs. Beckett

My hon. Friend is entirely right to say that monitoring must take place right up to the millennium date change. We anticipate that further work will need to continue beyond that, because, as he may know, people in some sectors are concerned about the leap year date. We therefore expect and anticipate that people will go on working and developing their programmes and, in particular, that people will plan for continuity of service, should any unforeseen disruption occur.

Mr. David Tredinnick (Bosworth)

Can the right hon. Lady assure my Leicestershire constituents that the effort to cope with the millennium bug has not been centred just on London and the south, and that real efforts have been made in the midlands?

Mrs. Beckett

Yes, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that work has been going on throughout the country. If he contacts the Government office for the east midlands, his local authority and his local chamber of commerce, he will find that they will be able to give him some information about the work being undertaken. I believe that the Prime Minister's adviser on this matter is of the view that more work has been done on this project than on any single issue since the end of the second world war.

Mr. Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

The right hon. Lady will be aware that the best test is to forward-wind computers to see what happens, in simulation, when the date changes. Does she know what percentage of firms has done that test?

Mrs. Beckett

No, I cannot give the hon. Gentleman that detail. The whole purpose of the assessment and work that Action 2000 has done is to report on as many companies as possible in as much detail as possible, where testing has been carried out and independent assessments made, and publication of that work will continue. The hon. Gentleman will find much of that information readily available on web sites.