http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000154642417163&rtmo=qsuM9tt9&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/7/9/nbug09.html

ISSUE 1505 Friday 9 July 1999

Millennium bug threat to councils, By Andrew Sparrow, Political Correspondent SIX councils face a "severe risk of material disruption" by the Millennium bug, John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, said yesterday.

Some could be thrown into chaos because they have not done enough to tackle the computer problems caused by the 2000 date change. The offending authorities, all district or borough councils, are: Charnwood, Leics; East Northamptonshire; Hart, Hants; Restormel, Cornwall; Rugby and Warwick.

The Government has ruled that their state of readiness is "red". This means that there is a severe risk of material disruption and that "timely rectification may not be possible". Mr Prescott said: "There must be no doubt that this is a priority issue which must be addressed now to ensure that communities are not let down."

The problems were disclosed in a Government survey which showed that most councils were preparing to tackle the Millennium bug. While two per cent of English councils are "red", six per cent are "blue", meaning that there is no risk of disruption. The other 92 per cent are "amber", facing "some risk" but nothing that could not be rectified.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 09, 1999