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Funding for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies to be held on July 25th and August 4th 2002 has been pledged as well as cross-departmental management of transport, policing and health care.

Prime Minister Tony Blair will personally kick start the national sponsorship campaign and the 2002 Games will be the centrepiece of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Celebrations.

A task force chaired by Ian McCartney MP will co-ordinate the government activities to guarantee the country proves its ability to host high-profile events.

He said: "The eyes of the world will be on the UK. We need to ensure the Commonwealth Games are so successful that they will be a springboard to bring to the UK a range of other international events, international events for which other countries will be competing across the globe.

"A key task for the new team will be to ensure the continuation of the sponsorship campaign building on success to date. The Government will actively promote the sponsorship campaign and the Prime Minister will be involved himself in kicking off that sponsorship campaign."