§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to discuss his Department's progress towards millennium compliance. [32664]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: Officials from this department maintain regular contact with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's officials.
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice has been given to British embassies and consulates overseas concerning the need to achieve millennium computer compliance; and what funds he will make available for this purpose. [32670]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: All Strategic IT systems used in Embassies and Consulates (Posts) are supplied and maintained from the UK and compliance is addressed through our Millennium Programme. Regular Advice and progress reports are sent to Posts. No additional funds will be made available to Posts to address millennium issues.
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the cost to his Department of(a) consultants and (b) contractors engaged by his Department to address millennium computer compliance problems; and if he will list them. [32665]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: Details of specific Year 2000 Consultants and Contractors are in the following list.
- Estimated total cost of consultants: £25,000
- Estimated total cost of contractors: £550,000
- Consultants to date
- Firmin Jack: £2,750
- Mott Macdonald: £1,500
- Provision for future expenditure: £20,750
- Contractors to date
- Lorien Computing: £40,000
- Lorien Computing: £80,000
- Satchwell: £5,000
- Provision for future expenditure: £425,000.
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from which budgetary sub-head the costs of millennium compliance will be met by his Department. [32663]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: Costs will be met from the Running Costs and Capital Expenditure sub-heads of Vote 1 (Overseas Representation).
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials or individuals working within his Department on millennium compliance have(a) given notice of their intention to leave and (b) left his Department within the last six months. [32667]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: (a) None; (b) none.
276W
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when all testing on year 2000 computer compliance will be completed within his Department. [32666]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: All year 2000 testing of key IT systems in the FCO will be complete by December 1998.
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will be fully millennium compliant by September 1999. [32669]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: The FCO's plan is to have all of its key IT systems millennium compliant by the end of September 1999. We are on schedule to achieve that.
§ Mr. FaberTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the cost to his Department of his Department achieving millennium compliance. [32668]
§ Mr. Fatchett[holding answer 3 March 1998]: The current estimate of the cost to the FCO of achieving millennium compliance is £2,342,000.