§ Miss Emma NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long each computerised system in his Department would take to return to full operation in the event of a disaster.
§ Mr. LeighThe Department's IT security policy requires that, for each IT system, appropriate measures are adopted to maintain availability. Measures are determined by means of risk analysis and include disaster recovery plans. Such plans will take into account the time-critical nature of the system, the various types of disaster—say, from loss of stored data to loss of a building—and the costs and impact of loss of service. Such planning provides a mechanism for dealing with different types of loss of service in a cost-effective manner. System recovery times following a disaster will vary in accordance with the size of the system, the recovery requirements established and the type and magnitude of any disaster that might occur.