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CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

Welfare-to-work Programme

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what work opportunities the tourism industry can offer under the welfare-to-work programme. [13397]

Mr. Tom Clarke: Tourism is well placed to play a key role in the new deal/welfare-to-work initiative. It already supports some 1.7 million jobs. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has invited around 200 people involved in tourism, hospitality and leisure to a conference later this month to hear more about the proposals and the opportunities they present for the industry to meet its own staffing needs while offering young people real jobs leading to long-term, worthwhile careers.

Computers (Century Date Change)

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which (a) Minister and (b) civil servant has overall responsibility for ensuring millennium computer compliance in his Department and its associated public bodies. [13611]

Mr. Tom Clarke: As with all matters relating to the running of the Department, ultimate responsibility for ensuring millennium computer compliance for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport rests with the permanent secretary who is supported in this matter by the head of information systems. Responsibility for the Department's sponsored bodies rests with the individual accounting officers.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when his Department, its agencies and other public bodies for which he is responsible completed the millennium computer compliance audits of systems; and if he will make a statement; [13610]

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Mr. Tom Clarke: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has submitted its costed action plan to CCTA. This plan along with those of other Departments will be analysed by CITU and CCTA. The conclusions will be reported to my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who then will inform Parliament.

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on what funding provision has been made to accommodate the expenditure needed to resolve the computer millennium problem; and if he expects to have sufficient funding to pay for the work necessary to achieve complete millennium compliance by 1 January 2000. [13609]

Mr. Tom Clarke: The cost of preventive and remedial action on Year 2000 will be met from existing PES provision.

Correspondence

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the average time taken by his Department to give full answers to letters received from hon. Members. [13953]

Mr. Chris Smith: Since 1 May 1997, my Department has received 1,647 letters from hon. Members. The average time taken to give full answers is 15 working days.

DEFENCE

Computers (Century Date Change)

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of resolving the computer millennium problem in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which he is responsible; if he will give in each case (i) expenditure incurred to date, (ii) expenditure planned for 1997-98, (iii) expenditure planned for 1998-99 and (iv) expenditure planned for 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [13598]

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Mr. Spellar: In accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines, an audit of all computer-based systems across MOD, including the Defence Agencies, has been under way since mid-1996. The audit is being used to identify and assess the Year 2000 compliancy of systems that process date-related information and to measure progress in modification or replacement of affected systems. The audit covers equipment ranging from office systems to front-line military hardware. The audit is one component of the MOD action plan for managing the Year 2000 problem. As is the case with other Departments, a costed action plan has been provided to the Cabinet Office, who are preparing a report for my right hon. Fiend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who will then inform Parliament of the conclusions. The plans are exempt from disclosure under Category 2 of the Open Government Code of Practice on Access to Government Information which permits non-disclosure prior to an announcement. However, once the announcement has been made the plans will be available to the public.

No new money is available for resolution of the Year 2000 problem, the costs of which will be met from within existing financial resources.

The Minister with responsibility for Year 2000 action is the Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Gilbert. Within MOD all budget holders have been made responsible for ensuring that affected systems within their departments are modified or replaced. Overall responsibility for managing the MOD response to the Year 2000 problem lies with the Director General of Information and Communication Services, Major General W. J. P. Robins.

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Western European Union counterparts on the problems facing computer systems through the century date change; and if he will make a statement. [13504]

Mr. Spellar: The MOD initiated a departmental programme 18 months ago to address Year 2000 date change problems within its computer systems. During this time, the Year 2000 question has been raised with our counterparts in NATO and Allied Nations. They are fully aware of the serious nature of the problem and the actions being taken within UK MOD to ensure that Defence operations are not at risk from failure of systems to process date-related information correctly. We are discussing with our Allies the need for a collaborative approach to ensuring the continued effectiveness of the interconnection between systems on which allied operations depend. Senior-level discussions have taken place with the US Department of Defense on solutions to

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the Year 2000 problem, which has also been raised within the NATO Command, Control and Communication Board, the most senior committee in NATO dealing with Command and Control Systems, and is being raised within the WEU information systems forum. This will be kept as a high-priority topic within NATO and the WEU, and established as a regular agenda item on the appropriate committees so that progress can be monitored.

Equipment Exhibition (Indonesian Delegation)

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Indonesian delegates attended the Government's Royal Navy and British Army equipment exhibition in September. [13970]

Mr. Spellar: The official Indonesian delegation referred to in the answer that I gave to the hon. Member on 23 June 1997, Official Report, column 344, did not attend the Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition. The Indonesian Defence Attache in London did, however, attend the exhibition.

Appointments

Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by appointment the officers who constitute the selection board for three and four star appointments in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force. [14233]

Dr. Reid: The officers who constitute the Services selection boards for promotion to 3 and 4 star appointments are:




















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