§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if her Department has current dealings with(a) non-governmental organisations and (b) suppliers which are not millennium compliant; and on what date her Department will cease to deal with (i) non-governmental organisations and (ii) suppliers which are not millennium compliant. [20521]
§ Mr. Paul Murphy[holding answer 12 December 1997]My Departments are very aware of the importance of being Millennium compliant. They have taken steps to ensure compliance for the year 2000 by including an appropriate clause in contract documentation for the supply of goods and services. It is difficult to assess at this point in time how many suppliers are not Millennium compliant. However every effort is being made by my officials to encourage companies to become compliant through awareness seminars and liaising with organisations such as industry lead bodies and the CBI.
I have not specified a date when my Departments will cease to deal with non-governmental organisations and suppliers which are not Millennium compliant as the legalities of doing so are as yet unclear.