HC Deb 17 November 1998 vol 319 cc578-80W
Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60141]

Mr. Morley

The primary aim of the Ministry's millennium programme is to ensure that effective countermeasures are implemented to prevent any Year 2000 date-related problems from occurring. However, a formal risk management methodology has been introduced in core-MAFF and its Agencies which will identify the need for contingency plans where countermeasure action may not be fully effective.

Risk assessment will be completed and initial contingency plans will be in place by the end of January 1999; these will be fully developed by mid-1999, with key elements tested in the same timescale.

Non-departmental public bodies are being advised to progress contingency planning and their progress will be monitored.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the computer systems in(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies to which his Department is responsible will be modified and tested in relation to the millennium computer problem by January 1999; and if he will make a statement; [60140]

(2) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if he will make a statement. [60138]

Mr. Morley

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council on 21 October 1998,Official Report, column 1109, in which she announced the results of the latest quarterly review of Government Departments' and agencies' progress in tackling the bug. This also covered key organisations within the wider public sector. The information the hon. Member requests will be found in the copies of Departments' plans which have been published in the Library of the House. The results of the next quarterly review will be announced shortly to the House and the updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Library of the House and on the Internet.