§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding is presently committed from her departmental budget for(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000 to resolve the year 2000 computer problem; and if she will make a statement. [11895]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyThe Northern Ireland Departments, together with the Northern Ireland Office, are each responsible for their own expenditure programmes. In each case the cost of rectifying the year 2000 problem will be met out of their existing public expenditure survey provision. The exact costs involved will not be known until later in the year when the Departments will have completed a set of fully costed plans for the work involved. At that point, the original expenditure programmes may have to be adjusted.