Will emergency services be read for Y2K?

The Public Accounts Committee says it's time to tell the truth.
A new report by the Committee of Public Accounts yesterday expressed concern that despite the significant and costly implementation of programmes to eliminate the millennium bug, there is till much to be done before the public can be sure there will be no material disruption to normal services.

There is serious concern about the state of the UK's emergency services with a recent report by Action 2000 stating that 98% of the police and fire brigade were still unprepared for the millennium. The committee believe that it is essential both for public confidence and UK infrastructure information that those bodies where there is a risk of material disruption should be named, including the controversial associations represented by the FSA.

David Davis MP, the chairman of the public accounts committee said: "With only four months to go, it is a matter of concern that there is still much to be done to minimise the risks of material disruption to key services. It is also unsatisfactory, that in some areas, effective emergency plans have not been finalised.

"Such plans must be put in place well in advance and must take into account the possibility that winter weather or illness may affect key individuals dealing with situations caused by the millennium bug; and must also allow for the unique demands that might be put on public services as a result of the millennium itself."
Other concerns include the lack of information available about the readiness of overseas countries to combat the bug. They are worried that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office do not as yet have a reliable assessment of the position overseas. Millennium related failures abroad, they say, could have a serious impact on businesses and people who travel.

What do you think?

Julie Crisp