§ Mr. David AtkinsonTo ask the Prime Minister if progress in response to the threat of the millennium bug was discussed and an assessment of the millennium compliance of the global economy made at the recent Cologne Summit; and if he will make a statement. [91297]
§ The Prime MinisterThe millennium bug was discussed at the G8 Summit in Cologne. It was noted that there had been real progress since the 1998 Birmingham Summit in tackling the millennium bug, but that some countries still had a lot of preparation to do. This was reflected in the strong language of the Communiqué G8 countries agreed to maintain vigorous programmes of action and urged all other Governments to do the same. The Communiqué also highlighted the importance of contingency planning to cope with potential system failures. The G8 will maintain close co-operation among members and with others. A special G8 Conference on contingency planning will take place in the autumn.