§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what tenders his Department has put out to convert its information technology systems to be euro compliant; what are the cost and person hours required to convert the systems to handle the euro; and when he expects his Department's systems to be fully economic and monetary union compliant. [9454]
Mr. John M. TaylorMy Department and agencies will need to assess the impact a single currency, assumed to be starting on 1 January 1999, would have on their information systems irrespective of whether the United Kingdom decides to participate in the third stage of economic and monetary union. The Department's finance and pay systems have been outsourced, and changes to them will be the responsibility of the service providers. Other systems for the most part use commercial packages, and vendors can be expected to offer appropriate enhancements when market requirements become clear.