Millennium Compliance (Hansard, 7 July 1998)

§ Mr. David Atkinson
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what contingency plans his Department is making in the event of the failure of computer systems to recognise the year 2000; when he expects them to be in place, and tested; and if he will make a statement. [48848]
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§ Angela Eagle
The Department has a business continuity/disaster recovery plan which is managed by the Departmental Security Officer. The plan is reviewed annually. It is intended that the plan will take account of Year 2000 issues in its iteration for 1999/2000.
The Department's Agencies are in a similar position to the Centre; contingency plans are in place, or are being developed as appropriate, in good time to address Year 2000 issues.
The DETR Programme Manager is monitoring the position across the whole department, including its associated bodies, as part of his responsibility for assuring business continuity through the Year 2000 date change and beyond.

§ Mr. Ottaway
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ensure that railway signalling and other electrical equipment involved in rail safety is millennium compliant; and by what date that compliance will be achieved. [48641]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
It is the responsibility of the railway operators to ensure that all equipment is safe up to and beyond the millennium. The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is closely monitoring the state of preparedness of the industry.
All the railway operators are assessing their systems for millennium compliance and, where necessary, developing programmes of remedial action. Railtrack in particular is devoting considerable resources both to ensuring compliance in its own systems and to co-ordinating the activities of the train operators on its network.
In practice, the signalling and other safety critical systems which have been assessed to date have been found to be largely millennium compliant, and it is anticipated that all safety critical systems will have been assessed and any deficiencies remedied well before the millennium.
The Government already have in place a number of mechanisms to ensure that both public and private sector service suppliers are taking appropriate action to prevent damage from the failure of electronic systems. A ministerial sub-committee is also actively reviewing the state of preparedness in all sectors of the national infrastructure including London Transport and the Rail industry.

§ Mr. Ottaway
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of his proposals for new financial arrangements for London Underground on its work to ensure millennium compliance within the organisation. [48634]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
My right hon. Friend has made no proposals for partial privatisation of London Underground. For the past two years, London Underground and London Transport have been progressing a comprehensive project to ensure their business is year 2000 compliant. Whilst the project is ongoing, they assure me that they are meeting their objectives and will be taking account of any implications for millennium compliance of the work to take forward the Public Private Partnership for the Underground.
470W
This Government already have in place a number of mechanisms to ensure that both public and private sector service suppliers are taking appropriate action to prevent damage from the failure of electronic systems. A ministerial sub-committee is also actively reviewing the state of preparedness in all sectors of the national infrastructure including London Transport and the Rail industry.

§ Mr. Gale
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies his Department has undertaken concerning the millennium compliance of the computer systems used in the operation of the Channel Tunnel, Le Shuttle and Eurostar; and if he will make a statement. [49448]

§ Ms Glenda Jackson
This is a matter for the operators of the Channel Tunnel. However, in accordance with its obligation to advise and assist the Intergovernmental Commission with all matters relating to safety in the Tunnel, the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority has been discussing the issue in its regular meetings with Eurotunnel.
This Government already have in place a number of mechanisms to ensure that both public and private sector service suppliers are taking appropriate action to prevent damage from the failure of electronic systems. A ministerial sub-committee is also actively reviewing the state of preparedness in all sectors of the national infrastructure including London Transport and the Rail industry.
As regards Eurostar's operations on the domestic network, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Croydon, South (Mr. Ottaway).