§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps she has taken to establish the (i) status and (ii) costs of millennium compliance for(a) the European Commission and (b) the European Parliament. [19195]
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§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 4 December 1997]: The UK Government take the issue of millennium compliance extremely seriously, which is why at the Telecommunications Council meeting on 1 December I drew attention to the need for analysis and preparation both within the public and private sectors. However, the particular matter raised here is one for the European Commission and the European Parliament.
§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the number of computer professionals needed to solve the year 2000 computer compliance problem for the SME sector; how many she estimates are currently available; and if she will make a statement. [19262]
§ Mrs. Roche[holding answer 8 December 1997]: The Government have made no estimate. Some industry specialists estimate that between 30,000 to 50,000 additional skilled IT staff will be required. Action 2000, the Government's new initiative to help businesses tackle the century date problem, will be supporting programmes to address this issue.