§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of(a) the extent to which the proposed installation of digital technology for the Coastguard Service will provide a fully integrated service that is year 2000 compliant and (b) the adequacy of consultation with end users prior to introducing such new technology for the Coastguard Service. [65264]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe draft Statement of Service Requirements (SSR) which is shortly to be issued to prospective suppliers contains the following statement
301WAll equipment and associated systems supplied for Integrated Coastguard Communication System (ICCS) must be millennium proof. By this we mean that equipment installed before the end of the century must be capable of an uninterrupted transition from 1990 to 2000 dates without subsequent adjustment. Likewise, all equipment installed after January 2000 must be capable of working effectively with both pre and post millennium dates.It is anticipated that this is most likely to be an issue in relation to the aural recording and retrieval features. Special assurance is required that where recordings are made prior to midnight on 31 December 1999 or through midnight, they are capable of seamless retrieval after that date".However, it is proposed that the first operational ICCS equipment will be installed after January 2000.
End users have been involved in the ICCS project from its inception. The statement requirements for ICCS was drawn up by a group chaired by the former Coastguard Agency's Chief Technical Officer which included operational coastguard representation. Prior to that there had been an internal Agency review of requirements compiled by another group which also included several operational Coastguards. The outline ICCS proposals also formed part of the 5 year strategy document which was distributed to all Agency staff in January 1998.