Written question asked by David Atkinson (Conservative) on Thursday, 5 March 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 March 1998. It was answered by Clare Short (Labour) on Tuesday, 10 March 1998 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Dept for International Development

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance is being given to UK-aided countries on the threat to health and immunisation records and on other problems arising from the need for computer systems to be millennium compliant.

Answer: Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance is being given to UK-aided countries on the threat to health and immunisation records and on other problems arising from the need for computer systems to be millennium compliant; and if she will make a statement. [33863] Clare Short: Last week, the Government committed £10 million to the World Bank's Trust Fund for Information Development to assist poor countries to identify problems of millennium compliance, to design strategies to overcome the problems in priority areas and to provide technical cooperation in support of the solutions. This could include help with health and immunisation records, but it is not possible to generalise about the extent to which health records are at risk in poor countries or what the solutions may be. I am also ready to consider providing support directly to poor developing countries.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 33863; 308 c110W
Session: 1997-98
Subjects: Software Developing countries Medical records Millennium compliance World Bank