From the Electronic Telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000154642417163&rtmo=Q9zHzLQR&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/5/18/nsco18.html

ISSUE 1453 - May 1999

Scotland Yard in Millennium bug computer row By Robert Uhlig, Technology Correspondent

SCOTLAND YARD was yesterday accused of "disgraceful behaviour" after it denied an independent report's claims that the Metropolitan Police is running unacceptably late in making preparations for the Millennium bug.

The report by the independent watchdog, Taskforce 2000, named Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Cheshire, Hampshire, Metropolitan and Warwickshire police forces as a "cause of great concern" and the National Criminal Intelligence Service and Sussex as at "serious risk" of disruption on New Year's Eve.

Unless the Millennium bug is fixed, these forces face disruption to their communications, surveillance, planning and computer systems, the report warned. Scotland Yard claimed the data in the report published yesterday was based on information that is now nearly six months old.

However, a spokesman for Taskforce 2000 said the information had been provided in late February by the Police Information Technology Organisation via the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency and the Cabinet Office. The spokesman said: "This is disgraceful behaviour. If the Met has more up-to-date information then they should certainly let us have it."

Taskforce 2000 said its report into the public sector readiness for the so-called Millennium bug had uncovered "a depressing picture" throughout the country's emergency services. In addition to poor progress among large parts of the police service, some fire brigades "could be in poor shape indeed", the report said.

Scotland Yard said in a statement: "As far as the Met is concerned, most of our critical systems will have been tested by the end of June. The only systems that remain to be tested are dependent on progress made by other organisations and agencies. Even these systems are likely to have been tested by the autumn."

John Evans, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police, denied that his force had even been on the list of forces facing disruption. He said: "All the Devon and Cornwall major and subsidiary systems have been tested and are compliant."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 18, 1999