§ Sir Brian MawhinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost to his Department of(a) consultants and (b) contractors engaged by his Department to address millennium computer compliance problems; and if he will list the consultants and contractors. [32299]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 3 March 1998]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 3 March 1998, Official Report, column 622. Non pay running costs noted in that answer is the estimated cost to my Department of consultants and contractors. The consultants and contractors engaged to address millennium compliance problems are Bull Information Systems Ltd; CCTA; Grosvenor Consulting Ltd; Mentis; Oracle; Praxis; Sema Group; and Software AG.
§ Sir Brian MawhinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when all testing on Year 2000 compliance will be completed in his Department. [32312]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 3 March 19981: Year 2000 compliance testing will be completed on all business critical systems within my Department by January 1999. Testing of some non-critical systems will continue after this date, to be completed by mid 1999.
§ Sir Brian MawhinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency plans have been made for(a) the Fire Service College, (b) the Forensic Science Service, (c) the UK Passport Agency and (d) HM Prison Service in the event of a failure due to Year 2000 computer problems. [32302]
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 3 March 1998](a) The Fire Service College have recently installed a redeveloped Year 2000 compliant system. Contingency plans are included within their Year 2000 strategy. (b) The Forensic Science Service contingency plans will be completed by the end of March 1998. (c) The United Kingdom Passport Agency will have a redeveloped Year 2000 compliant computer system in place before the Year 2000. Their current system is being tested for Year 2000 compliance as a contingency measure. (d) Her Majesty's Prison Service have plans in place to cover failure of strategic computer systems. These will be reviewed to ensure they cater for failure due to Year 2000 computer problems.
§ Sir Brian MawhinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which budgetary sub-head the costs of millennium compliance will be met by his Department. [32298]
563W
§ Mr. Straw[holding answer 3 March 1998]: Millennium compliance costs will be met from existing Capital and Non Pay Running Costs budgetary sub-heads.