§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his speech to the Midland Bank Conference on the Millennium, if he will list the members of the central team located in the Cabinet to work on the year 2000 problem; when this team will first meet; and what is its remit. [37474]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 2 April 1998]I am setting up a new team in the Cabinet Office to support the Ministerial Group on the Millennium date change (MISC 4) and its public sector sub-group in co-ordinating the drive by Government across the public and the private sector to prepare for the Year 2000, with a particular focus on preventing damage to the national infrastructure. The team will manage the study into the risks the country faces in the run up to the Year 2000 which I announced in my speech to the Action 2000/Midland Bank conference on 30 March. It will liaise with Government departments across Whitehall to ensure that the action Ministers are taking in relation to their own departments and the other areas of the public sector for which they are responsible is properly co-ordinated and fits with Action 2000's work with the private sector. It will work with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other departments on our drive for action internationally. And it will co-ordinate the presentation of Government action.
Appointments to the Unit are now being made.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his article inThe Independent newspaper of 30 March, if he will publish the analysis underlying his statement that the cost of dealing with the millennium computer problem across the public sector is up to £3 billion; and if he will make a statement. [38140]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 7 April 1998]The figure of up to £3 billion for the cost of millennium compliance across the public sector was an estimate to indicate the possible scale of the problem which is faced by the sector. It took account of forecasts which have been made by independent experts and companies with experience of dealing with the costs of tackling this problem. Such forecasts have ranged from £1 billion to £3 billion. These forecasts are within a range because the actual costs of compliance are not easy to predict accurately in advance and historically have tended to be underestimated.
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§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Prime Minister if it is his policy that the money to resolve the millennium computer problem across the public sector can be found from existing budgets; and if he will make a statement. [38139]
§ The Prime Minister[holding answer 7 April 1998]The Government's policy remains that the cost of resolving the millennium computer problem across the public sector will be met from within existing funds. This will be closely monitored as part of the reporting arrangements which have been put in place.