§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 July 1998,Official Report, column 526, on the cost of ensuring millennium compliance throughout the NHS, what factors underlie the discrepancy between the figure given and his Department's earlier estimate of £5.7 million. [54504]
§ Mr. BoatengThe reason for the discrepancy between the figure given in my Answer of 21 July and the Department's earlier estimate of £5.7 million is that the latter refers only to planned expenditure by the central Department, whereas the former is the total cost to the wider National Health Service of ensuring millennium compliance.
Central Department plans and costs are reported to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on a quarterly basis. He has arranged for completed questionnaires and a summary to be placed in the Library and published on the internet. A further update by the Department will be available in September.
§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 27 July 1998,Official Report, columns 94–99, on millennium compliance, what checks he carried out to ensure that the data provided by trusts and health authorities as at 31 March were accurate; and how those checks accounted for the delays in his answer. [54576]
§ Mr. MilburnFurther advice was requested from officials on the figures from trusts and health authorities. When this had been provided and considered, a reply was given directly.