Surveyor: Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we diet.

MRS T – GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN[QQ] Number of press articles mentioning “Blairite”, 1997 – 931 Ditto, mentioning “Thatcherite” – 1264 Increase in number of articles mentioning “Blairite”, 1995-1998 – 978% Source: Reuters Business Briefing NET IN PERSPECTIVE Predicted value of the European intranet services market, 2003 – £3.2bn Predicted value of European commercial e-commerce, 2003 – £108.4bn Total nominal value of trades on LIFFE, February 1999 – £4,534.0bn Source: Datamonitor; Visa International; LIFFE IT IS BETTER TO TRAVEL THAN TO ARRIVE Business executives afraid of flying – 9% Year-on-year increase in cost of business class fares to US (Q4, 1998) – 11% Increase in the number of budget hotel rooms in the UK, 1992-98 – 225% Year-on-year increase in cost of first class hotel rooms in London (Q4, 1998) – 12% Ditto, Hong Kong – minus 21% Source: Company Barclaycard; Deloitte & Touche; American Express. ETHICS GIRLS DO IT FOR THE MONEY Proportion of UK companies using a code of conduct – 46% Proportion of directors who have difficulty managing ethical issues – 75% Ditto who have a code of conduct to ensure long-term shareholder value – 24% Total value of ethical funds in the UK – £2.1bn Total value of net PEP sales, 1998 – £7.7bn Source: IoD; EIRIS; Salomon Smith Barney. WE ONLY HAVE AYES FOR EURO? Proportion of Britons in favour of the euro – 40% Ditto, Dutch – 69% Proportion of Britons who think the euro will benefit the UK – 43% Ditto, Dutch who think it will benefit Holland – 43% Proportion of Britons who think the UK should join the euro – 42% Proportion of all Europeans who think UK should join – 72% Source: AXA Investment Managers RECEDING RECESSION? NOT QUITE … SME directors citing economic situation as their prime concern – 32% Ditto, citing government red tape – 63% Proportion of US senior managers who think economic conditions for business are improving in the US – 64% Ditto, UK senior managers in the UK – 21% Source: Royal Bank Invoice Finance; IoD/Oracle/Bathwick Group HAVE A BREAK Proportion of London hoteliers who have had problems with bad behaviour at corporate functions – 40% Average amount Geminis spend on eating out each month (highest in Zodiac) – £50 Proportion of executives selecting KitKat as their favourite chocolate bar – 16% Source: Banks Sadler; Company Barclaycard Timewatch (24.03.99) Number of days until euro notes and coins enter circulation – 1,012.