§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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. [7131]
§ Mr. DewarA Year 2000 compliance programme is underway within my Department with the objective of identifying and ensuring the correct operation of all critical systems by 31 December 1998. The review is on schedule.
The Director of Telecommunications is in overall charge of the programme and has the full time support of a Project Manager. They provide the central operational contact for all Year 2000 compliance issues. The programme of work in hand covers all Scottish Office IT systems, and although my Department is in a relatively sound position, owing to the recent redevelopment of many of its IT systems, we are nonetheless devoting significant effort to ensuring Year 2000 compliance. A detailed, costed project plan is being developed, which we expect to have in place by October, in line with the guidance issued by CITU and CCTA. At this stage, therefore, it is not possible to say precisely how much the work involved will cost, but it is expected that the costs will be contained within my Department's existing IT budget.