§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the publications in which his Department has taken advertisements to publicise the millennium bug and indicate the cost of these advertisements; [59562]
(2) if he will list the publications in which his Department has placed advertisements to publicise the millennium bug, indicating the cost of the advertisements. [59910]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government are taking action centrally, primarily through Action 2000, to ensure that businesses are aware of the potential threat of the Millennium bug. My Department is in close contact with the farming and food industries to reinforce the message. We have not so far considered it appropriate to take out any direct advertisements.
§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what estimate he has made of the susceptibility to the millennium bug of farm machinery and equipment in the United Kingdom; and what measures he proposes to take to deal with the problem; [59563]
442W(2) what steps he has taken to ensure that the operation of farm machinery in the UK is not affected by the millennium bug. [59909]
§ Mr. MorleyFarmers, like other businessmen, use a wide range of machinery and equipment, some of which may be susceptible to the Millennium bug. My Department is working closely with the NFU and others to ensure that farmers are aware of the potential for disruption to their businesses and of the action they can take to avoid this. Questions of equipment safety are, of course, a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.