David Miles, a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, has said that the UK economy should return to growth “within the next six to nine months” (Independent ).
The Equalities Minister, Harriet Harman, has announced plans to end tax breaks for corporate events held in lap-dancing clubs (Times).
Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, has warned that post-election tax rises could damage consumer spending (Times).
Guardian News and Media has announced that The Observer will remain in print, ending speculation that the loss-making newspaper would be closed (Times; Guardian).
Following the completion of its stress tests, the Financial Services Authority has ordered Lloyds Banking Group, which is 43 per cent owned by the taxpayer, to remain in the Government’s special asset protection scheme (Times; Telegraph; Guardian).
BSkyB is due to complain to Ofcom that the regulator is exceeding its legal powers and using flawed analysis to insist that it cuts the price for selling Sky Sports and Sky Movies to rivals (Times).
Older savers are being penalised as banks and building societies are limiting where they invest their money under new rules, according to the Telegraph (Telegraph).
Foreign investment in Britain fell by half last year due to the recession and the falling pound (Guardian).
The Transport Secretary, Lord Adonis, has argued that airlines can continue to grow, with new technology and emissions reductions elsewhere offsetting the carbon implications (Guardian).
The Conservatives have said that postal workers are behaving as if they have a “death wish”. Ken Clarke, Shadow Business Secretary slammed the strikers, warning that the UK was “returning to a world in which totally irresponsible strikes are being threatened in the public services” (FT; Daily Express).
The cost of replacing trident could soar to £130 billion, far higher than government estimates (Guardian).
Lloyd’s has signalled that it is likely to join the Government’s financial insurance scheme which involves ring fencing £260billion. of toxic assets (FT).
A survey has shown that a majority of people favour axing universal benefits for the well off. The YouGov survey showed that the proposal to means-test child benefit had high levels of support (Mail).
A Populus poll shows the Conservatives are ahead of Labour as the best party to improve the NHS, on 37 per cent to 34 per cent (Times).
The Association of Paediatric Emergency Medicine has called for children to be forced to wear helmets while cycling (Times; Telegraph).
Research published by the British Medical Journal shows that middle-aged people who are overweight, smoke and have raised blood pressure and high cholesterol will die on average 15 years sooner than those without such problems (Times).
Thousands of people are dying needlessly because the NHS is failing to diagnose heart disease and offer life saving drugs (Daily Express).
Speaking to the King’s Fund health think tank, Health Secretary, Andrew Burnham, has said that NHS organisations are the “preferred provider” of state-funded healthcare and should be given the chance to offer redesigned services (FT).
100,000 students will start university without any money. The student loans system has left more than one in ten undergraduates without their student loans (Mail).
The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, has been placed under investigation after she admitted that she had employed an illegal immigrant (Times; Independent; Telegraph).
John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has promised to reveal the names of MPs who “flip” their designated second home (Telegraph).
MPs owe £140,000 of unpaid food and drinks bills at the House of Commons. The 329 MPs owe an average of £419 each (Sun).