It seems that the developed countries are at last taking the Millennium time bomb more seriously, even if the solutions are currently more talk than action. According to a report in today’s Independent newspaper, British prime minister, Tony Blair, has persuaded President Clinton that the issue should form part of the formal agenda of the G8 summit of industrialized nations which will take place in Birmingham this May. In addition, Britain, as part of its current leadership of the European Union, is to hold a conference for senior industry figures to discuss the problem. This renewed impetus to tackle the millennium problem has been stimulated by apocalyptic warnings from UK Government sources that the bug could wipe up to 2% off the national income of all the G8 countries, which would mean a loss of $250bn worldwide.
