§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of the computer or computers being purchased for his office's C6 division (probation); and what was the original budget for the acquisition of this equipment. [10144]
§ Mr. HowardSome 63 personal computers are to be installed in C6 division as part of my Department's programme to provide networked office systems to 2,750 staff in the central areas. The total capital costs for this programme, known as POISE—planned office information systems environment—were estimated in the business case to be £7.6 million over a period of seven years. This estimate remains valid and the capital costs of the C6 division installation may be taken to be proportionate at around £174,000.
Currently there are 72 personal computers in C6 division which were purchased piecemeal or as part of an earlier version of POISE over several years. The estimated cost is £95,000 in total and the purchases were made from a centralised budget set aside for ad hoc information technology support.
In addition, IT equipment is being purchased by the probation services as part of the National Probation Service information systems strategy which covers the needs of the 55 probation services in England and Wales. The estimated capital cost of the national strategy is £31.9 million over five years from 1994–95 to 1998–99. This was the original budget and remains the estimated costs.