§ Mr. Woodallasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide information on the current uses of computers within his Department and plans for their further introduction and extension.
§ Mr. WhitneyMy Department's existing computer systems support payroll, personnel, aid policy and finance work; the passport office; and commercial work at certain overseas posts. We also have 48 stand-alone word processors — 35 at home, 13 overseas — and make extensive use of commercial databases.
Future plans, at varying stages of development, include the following:
- (a) a major project for an integrated office system with around 1,500 terminals;
- (b) a management information system in the ODA;
- (c) systems overseas to support the commercial and other tasks of diplomatic posts;
- (d) systems to assist with personnel work, work on the financial management initiative, and the management of the overseas diplomatic estate;
- (e) various other discrete systems.