§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's timetable for dealing with the Year 2000 Computer Problem; who is in charge of the project; how many staff are working on it; what is the projected cost of resolving the problem; and whether the project is on schedule. [7144]
§ Mr. FatchettIn accordance with central directives, this Department will submit costed Year 2000 plans to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) by October 1997. This Department is replacing Office Automation (OA) systems, thus avoiding some Year 2000 problems, and addressing other systems through its millennium programme. All major systems will be compliant by March 1999. This Department's Director of General Services is overseeing the work. Fourteen staff are currently working on the programme. This will increase. Our current cost estimate is £3 million (excluding OA replacements). We are on schedule.