Niall Fitzgerald of Unilever: 'Wake up to y2k, Blair'
From www.year2000.com
John
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'Wake up to millennium bug threat, Blair urged Experts warn of public services chaos as computers malfunction
The Guardian
Wed, Jan 14 1998
MILLIONS of people could suffer from the collapse of benefits payments systems, and health and education services could grind to a financial halt because of government failure to solve the "millennium bug" problem, an alliance of senior British, American and Canadian business executives and academics warned yesterday.
Tony Blair, President Bill Clinton and the Canadian prime minister, Jean Chretien, were told by 87 corporate and academic leaders that time is running out and that funds set aside are grossly inadequate to deal with the threat that software systems controlling public services will misinterpret dates beyond December 31 next year.
Their apocalyptic warning came as Mr Blair prepared to relaunch next week Action 2000 - the official body set up last year to raise public awareness - as the Millennium Bug Commission. The new commission will come complete with helpline, website and new logo - a black bug on a yellow background.
Amid political infighting, the body, chaired by Don Cruickshank, the outgoing director general of Oftel, has spent weeks searching for a chief executive who is not now likely to be appointed until March at the earliest.
The government-funded body is due to supplement or take over the activities of Task Force 2000, the public-private organisation headed by consultant Robin Guenier. He last night launched a scathing attack on Labour's handling of the bug crisis - in particular the setting aside of a mere pounds 370 million for central government alone to tackle a problem likely to cost Britain up to pounds 70 billion.
In a statement issued under the aegis of the British-North American Committee, the corporate and academic leaders declared: "If the year 2000 finds governments inadequately prepared, the bug's impact will extend well beyond their own operations. Pension or income support payments and reimbursements for key services such as health and education may be disrupted.
"Breakdowns in revenue collection and debt management may trigger financial chaos, threatening institutional stability and household savings. Malfunctions in critical areas such as air traffic control and defence may put people's safety at risk. The consequences of failure to act effectively are frightening to contemplate."
The International Federation of Airline Pilots is planning emergency meetings over the next few days to discuss the prospect that some airlines will boycott airports across the world thought to be particularly vulnerable to the bug. "We've already had reports from pilots that some airlines will refuse to land at key airports unless they are satisfied sensitive computer systems will be overhauled in time," a spokesman said.
The private sector warning came from such business leaders as Bob Bauman, chairman of British Aerospace; Niall Fitzgerald of Unilever; Sir Sydney Lipworth, chairman of pharmaceutical giant Zeneca; James Schlesinger, former US defence secretary now with US bankers Lehman Bros; and James Perrella, head of Ingersoll-Rand. It was also signed by a string of academics and bankers after a December meeting in California. |
