Civil defence plans may be adapted for Millennium Bug

CIVIL DEFENCE plans to guarantee vital supplies like water, gas and electricity to the emergency services could be adapted to deal with a "Millennium Bug" computer crisis at the end of next year.

Don Cruickshank, head of the government-backed Action 2000 and director general of Oftel, told The Independent yesterday that he had expanded his terms of reference to include contingency planning for business. In addition to offering advice to companies on how to deal with the problem, he was also working on plans for a "public service non-destruction programme" - ensuring basic services for the public.

"In part, it is to give business confidence," he said, "but in part, it is to put in place some real procedures." He said that if a company had to be certain of electricity or other basic services, it might think of providing its own generator back-up.

"Another thing they might do is to enter into alternative temporary contracts with the local electricity distributor. London Electricity already has plans in the event of big power failures to prioritise supply of electricity to certain organisations; that has meant that you never let the hospitals down ... But that might be adapted to cater for this [Millennium Bug] problem."

A contingency "workshop" is being set up later this month, with 120 representatives from the utilities and large public bodies like the Civil Aviation Authority, the Association of Train Operating Companies and the BBC, along with key Departments like Social Security, to make sure the basic infrastructure of society is maintained.

Mr Cruickshank said that the DSS wanted to be assured that it would have electricity and telecommunications working, "and a lot of the private- sector economy wants to make sure that the benefits-payment system keeps ploughing cash into the economy, and doesn't stop".

One of the problems faced by companies is the unknown threat posed by embedded computer chips. An Action 2000 brochure says: "Depending on the function of the embedded system, the potential consequences of failure could range from trivial to disruption to danger.

"To use an example of a car engine management system, the car could either permanently indicate that it needs a service (trivial), may not start (disruption), or may not stop, or stop unexpectedly (danger)."

Business, he warned, would be negligent if they assumed that any breakdowns would be trivial. "Prudent businesses are not going to take that risk," Mr Cruickshank said.

Action 2000 Millennium Bug campaign advice and guidance can be found on a hotline number, 0845 601 2000, and a website at www. bug2000.gov.uk

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