§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Lord Privy Seal for what purposes his Department requires computers; and what expenditure on their purchase will be incurred in 1980–81.
§ Mr. HurdThe Foreign and Commonwealth Office needs computers for the recording and retrieval of information on personnel, overseas accommodation, transport and office machinery, and for pay and communications purposes. It also uses computerised indexes.
There is provision under the computer subheads in the FCO's 1980–81 estimates for expenditure totalling £307,000 which includes the cost of development work.
The Overseas Development Administration needs computers for the calculation and payment of pensions in respect of former service overseas; for the payment of salaries and allowances to 457W officers serving in developing countries under the various technical co-operation schemes: for the production of the statistical analyses and as dedicated scientific equipment in the scientific units of the ODA.
As a result of the short-term recommendations of a full study into the management information needs of the ODA, a micro computer will be purchased during 1980–81 for the accounts department at an estimated cost of £15,000.