§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much he plans to spend over each of the next three years on interim arrangements in connection with the police computer; when the new permanent system(a) was and (b) is now scheduled to be operative; what has caused the delay in its introduction; why the current system is no longer suitable; if a new tender has been put out for the mainframe and terminals for the interim system; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe capital cost of the interim equipment is about £3.75 million, but this is offset by savings of about £950,000 a year in terms of maintenance, power and other costs. Taking account of the residual value of new hardware, the interim arrangements are likely to cost about £65,000 a year.
The interim equipment was necessary to replace processors which could no longer be economically maintained. It was procured by single tender action from the supplier of the present PNC equipment as no other firm could supply processors which would run the existing PNC software. No new terminals have been procured.
The next generation PNC is expected to be operational in 1990, as originally planned.