Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, has completed the membership list of the independent panel to assess the 12 cities bidding to be the UK's European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Members include Marc Jordan, Royal Parks Advisory Board chair, Olympic medallist and Sport England vice chair, Tessa Sanderson and British Tourist Authority Board member Hilary Lade.

The Advisory Panel will consider the bids from all 12 cities in detail with a shortlist being drawn up this autumn. One city will be chosen in the spring of 2003 to go forward as the UK's nomination.

Cities with the biggest budgets to spend on promoting their cultural virtues are Liverpool with £2.1m, Bradford (£1.65m) and Cardiff (£1m). The chair of the panel was announced in May as Jeremy Isaacs, former chief executive of Channel Four. Details: www.culture.gov.uk