§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from which budgetary sub-head his Department will meet the cost of millennium compliance.[35432]
§ Mr. MorleyThe cost of the millennium compliance will be met from the administrative running cost and capital budgets of the Department and its Agencies. Cost will be incurred within sections G and H of the MAFF Vote, against the following programmes identified in our Departmental Report:
Programme Title IR1:05 Information Technology Services IR2:03 Management of Accommodation and Property Resources EA1:02 Central Science Laboratory EA1:03 Veterinary Laboratories Agency EA1:04 Pesticides Safety Directorate EA1:05 Veterinary Medicines Directorate EA1:06 Meat Hygiene Service EA1:08 Farming and Rural Conservation Agency EA1:09 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many non-UK nationals are working on computer-related problems within his Department. [35429]
§ Mr. MorleyNo non-UK nationals are working on millennium computer-related problems within the Department, and the Department is not employing any "off-shore" services.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what guidance his Department is giving to agricultural businesses and farmers on the year 2000 computer compliance problem. [35426]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department is not providing any specific guidance to agricultural businesses and farmers on the Year 2000 compliance problem, except where the Department has been asked to clarify its position (and Year 2000 plans) in a "supplier" capacity. The Department of Trade and Industry funded 'Action 2000' initiative will be gathering data and providing information across all private sectors; this extends to general advice, good practice, guidance material, signposts to further relevant information and a support infrastructure.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met Treasury Ministers to discuss the costs of millennium compliance in his Department. [35427]
72W
§ Mr. MorleyThere has been no direct specific discussion with Treasury Ministers regarding the Department's millennium costs, which are being met from existing provision. Regular returns regarding millennium plans and costs are being provided to the Central IT Unit (Cabinet Office).
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what meetings he has had with the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to discuss his Department's progress towards millennium compliance.[35428]
§ Mr. MorleyMy noble Friend the Parliamentary Secretary represents the Department's interests on a Ministerial sub-group that meets regularly and is chaired by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The Department's officials are in regular contact with the Cabinet Office (Central IT Unit) at an operational level.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated cost to his Department of(a) consultants and (b) contractors engaged by the Department to address millennium computer compliance problems; and if he will list them. [35425]
§ Mr. MorleyIt is not possible to separate out the costs relating to consultants as opposed to contractors engaged by the Department to address millennium computer compliance problems, or to provide an exhaustive list of them, without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the estimated cost of total external support is between £7 million and £8 million, primary sources on the IT side being Sema Group UK Ltd., Sherwood International Group Ltd., and Oracle Corporation UK Ltd. With regard to 'embedded chip' systems, CBG Consultants is the main source of external support.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his European counterparts with regard to the millennium compliance problem. [35434]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Department has taken steps to identify all interfaces with its European counterparts and is continuing to monitor progress via all appropriate channels including its involvement in the EU "Interchange of Data between Administrations" programme.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when all testing on year 2000 computer compliance will be completed within his Department; [35431]
(2) if testing has been done on his Department's archive computer files for millennium compliance. [35433]
§ Mr. MorleyAll work (including testing) on business critical systems will be completed by April 1999; work on less critical systems will be completed later in 1999. Operational requirements for access to historical/archived data will be addressed within the above timescales.
§ Mr. WalterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials or individuals working within his Department on millennium compliance have(a) given notice of their intention to leave or (b) left his Department in the last six months. [35430]
73W
§ Mr. MorleyNo officials or individuals working on the Department's millennium programmes in the central IT Directorate (the main area of millennium activity) has given notice of intention to leave or left the Department in the last six months.