Many computers are threatened because, put simply, their internal clocks read only the last two digits of each year, so they may confuse 2000 with 1900. In the article, Mr Blair said that while the UK is some way ahead of other countries in dealing with the problem, a quarter of British firms have still not started taking action. There is a risk that our growth prospects will be damaged as companies divert resources to cope with computer failures. Some might even go bust because they can't fix them. The Prime Minister, who has tabled the Millennium Bug as an item for discussion at the forthcoming meeting of the G8 countries, also announced that a World Bank Trust Fund would be set up to help developing countries cope.
Global awareness remains patchy.
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