Letter: 2000 bug looms

Sir: Your coverage of the growing fears over the Millennium Bug exposes the failure of politicians to insist on the necessary action on the part of governments ("Troops on standby for 2000 bug chaos", 5 November).

Many experts believe that it is now too late to avoid problems and that it is essential that contingency plans be in place and thoroughly tested. When I raised this issue with the then Prime Minister in 1995 I was assured that his government was taking the action necessary. The following year it launched the Taskforce 2000 awareness campaign, which the Labour government immediately shelved - losing six crucial months before replacing it with Action 2000.

However, if the last government had had the foresight to allow my Companies (Millennium Computer Compliance) Bill to become law in 1997, obliging directors to report on the readiness of companies to their shareholders in the annual report, Britain today would be better prepared. So it would be if the present government had not "objected" to my Millennium Conformity Bill, which would have safeguarded essential public services and infrastructure. I hope that it will support the Computer Millennium Non-Compliance (Contingency Plans) Bill, which I intend to introduce early in the next session of Parliament.

Finally, there is no internationally agreed standard of millennium compliance. Thus, I hope that governments will urgently respond to my amendment to a recent Council of Europe report on the global economy (Resolution 1167) calling for such a definition, and for a world test day which would allow good time to take the further action necessary to correct those problems which are certain to be exposed.

DAVID ATKINSON MP

(Bournemouth East, C)

House of Commons

London SW1