Press releases 2000

7 December 2000

MEMBERSHIP OF NEW CONSULTATIVE GROUP ANNOUNCED

London Stock Exchange plc today announces the membership of the Exchange Markets Group (EMG), its new consultative group that will provide independent advice directly to the Board.

Chaired by Don Cruickshank, the EMG consists of practitioners drawn from across the range of the Exchange's markets. It includes representatives from retail brokers, investment banking groups, corporate advisers and investing institutions. A list of members can be found below. One or two further appointments will be made in due course.

The EMG, which will meet at least six times a year, will be supported by a number of new and existing consultative groups that will provide input from diverse sections of the market. Its first meeting will be early in the New Year.

The remit of the EMG is to provide practitioner input and advice to the Board on a range of issues that affects the Exchange's markets. Its advice will be based on its own discussions on future strategy, as well as the input it receives from the other consultative groups. In addition, the Group will be able to commission its own external studies where appropriate.

Don Cruickshank said: "The EMG will provide independent input to the board that will play a vital part in ensuring that our strategy for the future is well-informed and focused on the needs of our customers. The EMG is the focal point of our consultation process and I am most grateful that this broad cross-section of market participants has agreed to contribute to our strategic planning in this way.

"Starting early in the New Year, we shall also be publishing quarterly updates, informing our shareholders and customers of our progress on initiatives such as the development of techMARK and AIM as international markets, improvements to our trading systems and other projects that we have outlined during the last few months.

"The formation of EMG, together with our new quarterly progress reports, are important steps in the commitment to consultation and accountability that I gave at our AGM."

Exchange Markets Group