Brits bash Year 2000 bug

At a London meeting, the prime minister outlined his plans to mobilize an army of 20,000 bug busters -- young people, unemployed, or even retired people, who will receive government training to deal with the millennium bug. Blair believes the plan, dubbed Action 2000, will have a two-pronged effect: putting people into IT training and dealing with the techno curse at the same time. Action 2000 had its budget increased from $1.68 million to $28.5 million, with a further $16.8 million put into a new World Bank Trust Fund to provide experts on training in developing countries.

Blair plan challenged
Blair's efforts were immediately attacked by Cheryl Gillan, shadow trade and industry minister, who accused Blair of abandoning the Conservative's original plan, Taskforce 2000, headed by the then science and technology minister, Ian Taylor.

Gillan remains unimpressed with Blair's promises, which she believes should extend to guarantee that "all essential services, such as the emergency services, benefit payments etc. are guaranteed not to be affected by the bug." In his speech, Blair made no such promises -- thought by some to have been a wise, if cautious tactic.

"Practically, such a guarantee is not possible because the problem is on such a large scale," says Tahir Azam, an IT support specialist in London. "There's no way anyone could make that sort of guarantee."

Gillan also called for a "triage study" to prioritize what she termed "the most important sectors" affected by the bug.

"Responsibility needs to be taken and contingency plans need to be made if those emergency sectors are not provided for," she says.

Blair says $117.6 million set aside in the budget will be used to help companies deal with the millennium bug. "If we get the response we are looking for, there will be an army of 20,000 bug busters fully trained between now and next April."

Tony Blair today announced a $163 million package to deal with the millennium bug, which, in a column for The Independent, he described as a "technical time bomb" capable of causing "major disruption" throughout Britain.

At a London meeting, the prime minister outlined his plans to mobilize an army of 20,000 bug busters -- young people, unemployed, or even retired people, who will receive government training to deal with the millennium bug. Blair believes the plan, dubbed Action 2000, will have a two-pronged effect: putting people into IT training and dealing with the techno curse at the same time. Action 2000 had its budget increased from $1.68 million to $28.5 million, with a further $16.8 million put into a new World Bank Trust Fund to provide experts on training in developing countries.

Blair plan challenged
Blair's efforts were immediately attacked by Cheryl Gillan, shadow trade and industry minister, who accused Blair of abandoning the Conservative's original plan, Taskforce 2000, headed by the then science and technology minister, Ian Taylor.

Gillan remains unimpressed with Blair's promises, which she believes should extend to guarantee that "all essential services, such as the emergency services, benefit payments etc. are guaranteed not to be affected by the bug." In his speech, Blair made no such promises -- thought by some to have been a wise, if cautious tactic.

"Practically, such a guarantee is not possible because the problem is on such a large scale," says Tahir Azam, an IT support specialist in London. "There's no way anyone could make that sort of guarantee."

Gillan also called for a "triage study" to prioritize what she termed "the most important sectors" affected by the bug.

"Responsibility needs to be taken and contingency plans need to be made if those emergency sectors are not provided for," she says.

Blair says $117.6 million set aside in the budget will be used to help companies deal with the millennium bug. "If we get the response we are looking for, there will be an army of 20,000 bug busters fully trained between now and next April."