The estimated cost of managing the Year 2000 in British central government systems rose by 6 per cent in the three months up to March 1998, to £393 million and costs could rise again as plans are refined, according to a recent report from the National Audit Office.

Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office found that in March 1998, most Departments and agencies had a target date for completion of January 1999, but there are warning signs that target dates were beginning to slip. In many cases, he said, robust contingency plans had yet to be developed, and no information was held in the public domain on the state of readiness in the wider public sector. He added that the limited information available on general practice suggested that GPs, as a body, were likely to have difficulty in achieving compliance. The report also found that the NHS had yet to cost its plans, but initial estimates suggest that the cost will be at least £230 million, and could rise.