HC Deb 05 November 1997 vol 300 c244W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on what funding provision has been made to accommodate the expenditure needed to resolve the computer millennium problem; and if she expects to have sufficient funding to pay for the work necessary to achieve complete millennium compliance by 1 January 2000. [13584]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The DTI plans to allocate £2.7 million to the resolution of this problem within the core Department. Agencies are pursuing their own programmes of work and have planned their own allocations.

The Department expects to have sufficient funding available to achieve compliance within existing PES provision.

Mr. Malcom Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will publish the action plan, due by 1 October 1997, for resolving the computer millennium problem in her Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which she is responsible; if such was fully completed on time; and if she will make a statement. [13582]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The DTI did provide a costed plan for dealing with this problem within the Department to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency by 1 October as requested. Agencies are pursuing their own programmes of work which include the preparation of such plans. Related public bodies have been advised to prepare plans for their own computer systems and officials are seeking confirmation that this work is in hand. Once the costed plans have been analysed by the Central IT Unit and the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will then inform Parliament. The plans will then be available to the public.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when her Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which she is responsible completed the millennium computer compliance audits of systems; and if she will make a statement. [13585]

Mrs. Roche

[holding answer 4 November 1997]: The millennium compliance audit within core DTI was completed in October 1996. Chief Executives of next steps agencies and other public bodies are responsible for programmes within their own organisations which include such audits.