§ Mr. Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if she will make a statement on what funding provision has been made to accommodate the expenditure needed to resolve the computer millennium problem; and if she expects to have sufficient funding to pay for the work necessary to achieve complete millennium compliance by 1 January 2000; [13619]
(2) what is her latest estimate of the total cost of resolving the computer millennium problem in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which she is responsible; if she will state in each case (i) expenditure incurred to date, (ii) expenditure planned for 1997–98, (iii) expenditure planned for 1998–99 and (iv) expenditure planned for 1999–00; and if she will make a statement; [13618]
(3) when her Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which she is responsible completed the millennium computer compliance audits of systems; and if she will make a statement; [13620]
(4) if she will publish the action plan, due by 1 October 1997, for resolving the computer millennium problem in 178W her Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which she is responsible; if such was fully completed on time; and if she will make a statement; [13617]
(5) which (a) Minister and (b) civil servant has overall responsibility for ensuring millennium computer compliance in her Department and its associated public bodies. [13621]
Mr. MurphyThe cost of preventative and remedial action on Year 2000 will be met from existing PES provision. Action is planned to be completed before the year 2000.
The Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments had completed their system audits by early summer 1997 and are working to a local target date for submission of detail costed plans to the department of finance and personnel of 1 December 1997. Until these plans have been completed and collated it will not be possible to provide estimates of the costs likely to be involved.
Following analysis of the plans, Parliament will be informed of the outcome. The plans will be exempted from disclosure under the open government code of practice on access to Government information, which permits non-disclosure prior to an announcement. However, once the announcement has been made the plans will be available to the public.
The Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Departments, their agencies and other public bodies are responsible for ensuring millennium compliance for their own systems. The role of the department of finance and personnel is to provide advice and guidance under my direction. In this I am supported by the head of central IT unit within my Department.