§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he believes civil authorities in the North of Scotland will be in a position to respond effectively to electricity or telecommunications failures which may result from the millennium bug. [59242]
§ Mr. DewarI am aware that the wide range of authorities who have responsibilities for responding to such failures, from whatever source, are constantly at a high level of preparedness.
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§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision he has made for civil emergencies in(a) Scotland and (b) the North of Scotland as a result of the millennium bug. [59248]
§ Mr. DewarA wide variety of means has been employed to raise awareness, in both the public and private sectors, of the potential for problems arising and to stimulate appropriate action. This has been on an all-Scotland basis.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if it will be his policy to request the use of TA engineering units in the event of civil emergency resulting from the millennium bug. [59243]
§ Mr. DewarShould any kind of civil emergency arise as a result of millennium bug problems, I am confident that the Scottish Executive would request military assistance if it considered that desirable. It would be for the armed services to determine whether any specific assistance was provided by the TA or otherwise.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what communications he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the provision of Territorial Army assistance to civil authorities in(a) Scotland and (b) the North of Scotland in the event of a civil emergency resulting from the millennium bug. [59249]
§ Mr. DewarI have emphasised to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence my concern that the ability of the Territorial Army in Scotland to provide military aid to the civil community should be maintained, and have drawn attention to the particular importance of this at a time when millennium bug problems could potentially pose a threat to key services. These points were made with respect to Scotland generally.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what extra resources(a) have been and (b) are planned to be made available to (i) local authorities, (ii) the NHS and (iii) the emergency services in Scotland to deal with millennium bug compliance. [59247]
§ Mr. DewarAn additional £10 million is being made available to local authorities in Scotland for 1999–2000, to help them respond to demands placed on them by the millennium date change issue. Local authorities have discretion in the use of this money; they may use it to support action across any of the services they provide, including emergency services.
The Government have provided £151 million of new money for 1998–99 for the National Health Service in Scotland (NHSiS) on top of the £98 million which was already planned. Action in the NHSiS on the Millennium Date Change problem is being funded from within these increased general resources.
I do not expect to have to make further additional resources available. However, the situation remains under constant review.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which minister in his Department has responsibility for millennium bug compliance in Scotland. [59246]
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§ Mr. DewarMy noble Friend Lord Macdonald of Tradeston is responsible for Scottish Office action on the Millennium date change issue. That includes oversight of progress in the public sector in Scotland generally. However, primary responsibility for ensuring that particular public services in Scotland are not materially affected by the Millennium date change lies with senior managers of the services concerned.