Breast Implants: Plan For Industry Regulation

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

A national register logging every breast implant operation carried out in England is to be set up in a bid to prevent a repeat of the PIP scandal.

The Government has published provisional plans to improve the cosmetics industry in the wake of the scandal.

Nearly 50,000 British women unknowingly bought industrial-grade silicone from French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), with hundreds suffering ruptures.

The UK cosmetics industry is rapidly expanding. The industry was worth an estimated £2.3bn in 2010, and is estimated to rise to £3.6bn by 2015.

In response, Sir Bruce Keogh was commissioned to carry out a review. The Government will today announce that it supports many of his recommendations, including:

:: To pilot a new register to record what breast implants are used.

:: The Royal College of Surgeons will create new qualifications and standards for cosmetic surgery.

:: A clampdown on advertising to ensure no more breast implants are awarded as competition prizes or time-limited deals.

:: Legislation will ensure that surgeons have to compensate for an injuries caused.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter told Sky News: "For too long, the cosmetics industry has been completely unregulated and there are too many tales of women who have been exploited, and of lives ruined by rogue cosmetic firms and practitioners.

PIP company boss Jean-Claude Mas has been jailed for four years in France

"This has to change, so we are taking robust action to clamp down on the cosmetic cowboys in order to properly protect women and the public.

"In January, we shall be setting out detailed plans about how to implement the recommendations made in last summer's cosmetics industry review by Sir Bruce Keogh."

While the industry is in support of the recommendations, Rajiv Grover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and President of BAAPS (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) said things would only improve if the register is made compulsory.

He said: "The implant register introduced into this country is only going to work if (it is) implemented and is made compulsory.

"Because only then can women be reassured there is no possibility that if a clinic becomes bankrupt or something closes that their implants will be register and they will know exactly what is inside them."

And Tim Goodacre, from the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), said: "We have been pushing for the creation of a compulsory register for breast implants.

"It is good the Government has announced its commitment to the breast implant registry pilot but in order to protect all women and avoid any future health scares it must quickly become a permanent infrastructure that all cosmetic providers have to use."

Jean-Claude Mas of PIP was found guilty of fraud after using industrial-grade silicone in thousands of breast implants sold worldwide.

The 74-year-old man, dubbed the "sorcerer's apprentice of implants" by prosecutors, plans to appeal, according to his lawyer.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in PIP implants.

A global health scare erupted in 2011 with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

About half the 30,000 French women given PIP implants have had them removed. Only 607 women in Britain have had them removed by the NHS.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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CBI: Firms Must Boost Pay After Long Squeeze

The director general of the CBI has called on businesses to improve pay levels as the Labour leader Ed Miliband charts what he sees as the "biggest cost-of-living crisis in a generation".

In his New Year message, Mr Miliband signalled his determination to keep up the pressure on the Government over the squeeze on living standards, despite growing signs the economy is finally beginning to pick up strength.

He sought to counter the increasing optimism of the Conservatives about the state of the economy by accusing them of ignoring the fact that many people were still no better off.

He said: "People are thinking they have made the sacrifices - and the Government keeps telling them that everything is fixed. But it does not seem fixed to them. Surely we can do better than this as a country.

"The Tories want to change the conversation from the cost of living crisis. They will talk about anything else. Inherent in their vision is not a solution to the cost of living crisis, but the problem."

Ed Miliband says living costs must be fair for all famlies

He said the party would use the coming year to show how it would make "big changes" to the economy to enable the country to "earn and grow our way to a higher standard of living for people.

"People do not want the earth. They would much prefer some very specific promises, specific things about what a government will do - whether it's freezing energy bills, taking action on pay day lenders, or tackling issues around childcare which lots of working parents face.

"All of this is adding up to a programme for how we can change things. It's clearly costed, it's credible and it's real."

John Cridland wants the spoils of recovery to filter to all workers

Families have been facing a squeeze on living standards as levels of pay increases fail to match the speed of rising prices.

As Mr Miliband outlined his attack on the Government, the CBI's John Cridland said firms face a challenge to make sure economic growth filters through to the workforce as economic recovery takes root.

In his own New Year message he said that businessmen and women have a "spring in their step" compared with a year ago and firms "must support employees in every part of the country to move up the career ladder, while also giving a helping hand to young people taking their first tentative steps into the world of work".

Mr Cridland said: "As the financial situation of many firms begins to turn a corner, one of the biggest challenges facing businesses is to deliver growth that will mean better pay and more opportunities for all their employees after a prolonged squeeze."

He said it was positive news that jobs were being created, adding it was shaping up to be a full-time recovery with the majority of new jobs being permanent.

For the first time since the start of the recession, 2014 will see most firms increasing the size of their workforce, boosting their graduate intake and the number of apprentices they take on, he predicted.

"The good news is that wages will pick up in the year ahead as growth beds down and productivity improves.

"But there are still far too many people stuck in minimum wage jobs without routes to progression, and that's a serious challenge that businesses and the Government must address."

Mr Cridland spoke of the importance of skills, calling for a Ucas-equivalent vocational system to help raise awareness and parity of esteem for alternative routes to higher skills.

"If 2013 was the year that business trust took a hammering on a range of issues from corporate taxation to energy prices, then 2014 must be the year that business leaders take action to rebuild that trust," he said.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Breast Implants: Plan For Industry Regulation

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

A national register logging every breast implant operation carried out in England is to be set up in a bid to prevent a repeat of the PIP scandal.

The Government has published provisional plans to improve the cosmetics industry in the wake of the scandal.

Nearly 50,000 British women unknowingly bought industrial-grade silicone from French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), with hundreds suffering ruptures.

The UK cosmetics industry is rapidly expanding. The industry was worth an estimated £2.3bn in 2010, and is estimated to rise to £3.6bn by 2015.

In response, Sir Bruce Keogh was commissioned to carry out a review. The Government will today announce that it supports many of his recommendations, including:

:: To pilot a new register to record what breast implants are used.

:: The Royal College of Surgeons will create new qualifications and standards for cosmetic surgery.

:: A clampdown on advertising to ensure no more breast implants are awarded as competition prizes or time-limited deals.

:: Legislation will ensure that surgeons have to compensate for an injuries caused.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter told Sky News: "For too long, the cosmetics industry has been completely unregulated and there are too many tales of women who have been exploited, and of lives ruined by rogue cosmetic firms and practitioners.

PIP company boss Jean-Claude Mas has been jailed for four years in France

"This has to change, so we are taking robust action to clamp down on the cosmetic cowboys in order to properly protect women and the public.

"In January, we shall be setting out detailed plans about how to implement the recommendations made in last summer's cosmetics industry review by Sir Bruce Keogh."

While the industry is in support of the recommendations, Rajiv Grover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and President of BAAPS (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) said things would only improve if the register is made compulsory.

He said: "The implant register introduced into this country is only going to work if (it is) implemented and is made compulsory.

"Because only then can women be reassured there is no possibility that if a clinic becomes bankrupt or something closes that their implants will be register and they will know exactly what is inside them."

And Tim Goodacre, from the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), said: "We have been pushing for the creation of a compulsory register for breast implants.

"It is good the Government has announced its commitment to the breast implant registry pilot but in order to protect all women and avoid any future health scares it must quickly become a permanent infrastructure that all cosmetic providers have to use."

Jean-Claude Mas of PIP was found guilty of fraud after using industrial-grade silicone in thousands of breast implants sold worldwide.

The 74-year-old man, dubbed the "sorcerer's apprentice of implants" by prosecutors, plans to appeal, according to his lawyer.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in PIP implants.

A global health scare erupted in 2011 with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

About half the 30,000 French women given PIP implants have had them removed. Only 607 women in Britain have had them removed by the NHS.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Volkswagen Camper Van Reaches End Of The Road

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

One of the most iconic vehicles in motoring history has finally reached the end of the road.

The last ever Volkswagen "Type 2" - more commonly known as the VW Camper, kombi or bus - rolls off the production line on December 31.

It is being retired after 64 years in continuous production because it cannot be adapted to meet modern safety regulations.

The last kombi will be made in Brazil, the country which has produced them for 56 years and where they are a vital thread in the fabric of everyday life.

A vehicle that came to symbolise the counter-culture in much of the world - as the van of choice for hippies and surfers alike - remains very much a mundane staple in Brazil.

It seems that everyone you talk to learned to drive in one and everywhere you turn they are being used to sell, deliver or provide shelter.

Labourers work on a Volkswagen assembly line in Brazil this month

Angelisa Stein is making a movie to mark the passing of the kombi. She told Sky News: "It is a car that is in touch with a lot of generations here. It will not be the same to have just another car."

The kombi is being phased out because modern requirements such as anti-lock brakes and airbags cannot be fitted into a frame that has changed little in 50 years.

A run of 600 last edition kombis - priced at £25,000 each - has sparked a rush among collectors and nostalgic fans.

Driving one of the last ones - with no air conditioning and "stirring custard" gear box - is remarkably reminiscent of driving one from the 1970s. Even down to the feeling of being behind the wheel of something special.

Of course, with a production run of around 10 million kombis, there are plenty that will be around for many years to come.

At a classic car rally in Rio, owners proudly showed off customised vans and talked of their sadness at the end of the kombi era.

Mechanic Adriano Godinho told Sky News: "It is a car which has represented a lot for us in this country.

"It has been used to transport goods, it is a workman's car, it is a family car, so it is something that's in us. It is part of the family."

The van was originally named the "Type 2" as it was only the second vehicle the company made after the Beetle.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Breast Implants: Plan For Industry Regulation

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

A national register logging every breast implant operation carried out in England is to be set up in a bid to prevent a repeat of the PIP scandal.

The Government has published provisional plans to improve the cosmetics industry in the wake of the scandal.

Nearly 50,000 British women unknowingly bought industrial-grade silicone from French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), with hundreds suffering ruptures.

The UK cosmetics industry is rapidly expanding. The industry was worth an estimated £2.3bn in 2010, and is estimated to rise to £3.6bn by 2015.

In response, Sir Bruce Keogh was commissioned to carry out a review. The Government will today announce that it supports many of his recommendations, including:

:: To pilot a new register to record what breast implants are used.

:: The Royal College of Surgeons will create new qualifications and standards for cosmetic surgery.

:: A clampdown on advertising to ensure no more breast implants are awarded as competition prizes or time-limited deals.

:: Legislation will ensure that surgeons have to compensate for an injuries caused.

Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter told Sky News: "For too long, the cosmetics industry has been completely unregulated and there are too many tales of women who have been exploited, and of lives ruined by rogue cosmetic firms and practitioners.

PIP company boss Jean-Claude Mas has been jailed for four years in France

"This has to change, so we are taking robust action to clamp down on the cosmetic cowboys in order to properly protect women and the public.

"In January, we shall be setting out detailed plans about how to implement the recommendations made in last summer's cosmetics industry review by Sir Bruce Keogh.

"While the industry is in support of the recommendations, Rajiv Grover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon and President of BAAPS said things would only improve if the register is made compulsory.

"The implant register introduced into this country is only going to work if (it is) implemented and is made compulsory.

"Because only then can women be reassured there is no possibility that if a clinic becomes bankrupt or something closes that their implants will be register and they will know exactly what is inside them."

Jean-Claude Mas of PIP was found guilty of fraud after using industrial-grade silicone in thousands of breast implants sold worldwide.

The 74 year old, dubbed the "sorcerer's apprentice of implants" by prosecutors, plans to appeal, according to his lawyer.

The scandal first emerged in 2010 after doctors noticed abnormally high rupture rates in PIP implants.

A global health scare erupted in 2011 with some 300,000 women in 65 countries believed to have received the faulty implants.

About half the 30,000 French women given PIP implants have had them removed. Only 607 women in Britain have had them removed by the NHS.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Volkswagen Camper Van Reaches End Of The Road

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

One of the most iconic vehicles in motoring history has finally reached the end of the road.

The last ever Volkswagen "Type 2" - more commonly known as the VW Camper, kombi or bus - rolls off the production line on December 31.

It is being retired after 64 years in continuous production because it cannot be adapted to meet modern safety regulations.

The last kombi will be made in Brazil, the country which has produced them for 56 years and where they are a vital thread in the fabric of everyday life.

A vehicle that came to symbolise the counter-culture in much of the world - as the van of choice for hippies and surfers alike - remains very much a mundane staple in Brazil.

It seems that everyone you talk to learned to drive in one and everywhere you turn they are being used to sell, deliver or provide shelter.

Labourers work on a Volkswagen assembly line in Brazil this month

Angelisa Stein is making a movie to mark the passing of the kombi. She told Sky News: "It is a car that is in touch with a lot of generations here. It will not be the same to have just another car."

The kombi is being phased out because modern requirements such as anti-lock brakes and airbags cannot be fitted into a frame that has changed little in 50 years.

A run of 600 last edition kombis - priced at £25,000 each - has sparked a rush among collectors and nostalgic fans.

Driving one of the last ones - with no air conditioning and "stirring custard" gear box - is remarkably reminiscent of driving one from the 1970s. Even down to the feeling of being behind the wheel of something special.

Of course, with a production run of around 10 million kombis, there are plenty that will be around for many years to come.

At a classic car rally in Rio, owners proudly showed off customised vans and talked of their sadness at the end of the kombi era.

Mechanic Adriano Godinho told Sky News: "It is a car which has represented a lot for us in this country.

"It has been used to transport goods, it is a workman's car, it is a family car, so it is something that's in us. It is part of the family."

The van was originally named the "Type 2" as it was only the second vehicle the company made after the Beetle.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Pound Hits Two-Year High Against Dollar

The pound has hit its highest level against the US dollar for nearly two-and-a-half years amid Britain's buoyant economic recovery.

Sterling rose to 1.65 dollars, a level not seen since August 2011, as strong economic figures continue to provide a boost and spur expectations that the Bank of England will move to raise interest rates earlier than expected.

A report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on Thursday predicted the UK would become Europe's largest economy within two decades, overtaking France and Germany.

The UK recovery has been picking up pace in recent months and official figures saw growth data revised higher last week.

Figures correct at 16:06 GMT Friday December 27

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said growth in 2012 was 0.3%, up from a previous estimate of 0.1%, while the figure for the first quarter of this year was revised up from 0.4% to 0.5% and for the second quarter from 0.7% to 0.8%.

A stronger pound is good news for tourists, as it boosts their spending power.

UK holidaymakers have up to 28% more spending money for their trips as a result of the pound's recent strength, according to a Post Office Travel Money survey.

It has also helped bring down UK inflation, by making it cheaper for Britain to import goods and services.

But the gains in sterling could provide a headache for manufacturers and exporters, as a stronger pound makes products more expensive for overseas buyers and therefore could dampen demand.

The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee recently warned that a significant increase in the pound's strength could pose risks to the recovery, while it could also dent the Government's aims to rebalance the economy towards manufacturing and exports.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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NatWest 'Hit By Fourth Online Banking Glitch'

NatWest has been hit by a 'cyber attack', leaving customers unable to access online accounts.

The bank's online banking service was disrupted after it was deliberately bombarded with internet traffic.   

Twitter users tweeted to say they could not access their bank accounts to pay bills or transfer money.

@TomGilchrist wrote: "Do other banks computer systems/services go down as much as NatWest? I assume not. Time to move banks I think."

@AleexReid tweeted: "Just joined Santander. Fed up with NatWest. Another computer failure tonight. #welldone."

A NatWest spokesperson said: "Due to a surge in internet traffic deliberately directed at the NatWest website, some of our customers experienced difficulties accessing our customer web sites this evening.

"This deliberate surge of traffic is commonly known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

"We have taken the appropriate action to restore the affected web sites. At no time was there any risk to customers. We apologise for the inconvenience caused."

At the beginning of December all of RBS and NatWest's systems went down for three hours on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

The group chief executive Ross McEwan described that glitch as "unacceptable" and added: "For decades, RBS failed to invest properly in its systems.

"We need to put our customers' needs at the centre of all we do. It will take time, but we are investing heavily in building IT systems our customers can rely on."

RBS and NatWest also came under fire in March after a "hardware fault" meant customers were unable to use their online accounts or withdraw cash for several hours.

A major computer issue in June last year saw payments go awry, wages appear to go missing and home purchases and holidays interrupted for several weeks, costing the group £175m in compensation.

This latest problem is the fourth time in 18 months RBS and NatWest customers have reported problems with the banks' services.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Britain's Economy 'Could Overtake Germany'

Britain could overtake Germany to become Europe's largest economy, according to new research by an economic think-tank.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) predicts the UK's GDP will move ahead of France by 2018, then leapfrog Germany by 2030.

Douglas McWilliams, the CEBR's chief executive, told The Daily Telegraph that Britain could become even stronger outside the European Union.

"My instinct is that in the short-term, the impact of leaving the EU would undoubtedly be negative," he said.

"My suspicion is that over a 15-year period, it would probably be positive."

But the report says Britain is also forecast to fall behind the accelerating economies of India and Brazil.

The UK's GDP will grow from more than £1.59 trillion in 2013 to £2.6 trillion in 2028, compared with China, which is predicted to be in top position with a GDP of £20.5 trillion, ahead of the US with an estimated £19.7 trillion

Japan will fall from its steady position in the global league of third to fourth by 2028, overtaken by India and followed by Brazil, Germany and the UK.

A treasury spokesperson said Britain's "hard work is paying off" with positive growth and job creation, but warned there is still work to be done. 

The spokesperson said: "The economy is growing, the deficit is falling and jobs are being created and while this report is encouraging, the job is not yet done. So the government will go on taking the difficult decisions needed to secure a responsible recovery for all."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Bargain Hunters Flock To Boxing Day Sales

Bargain hunters flock to the high streets in their thousands as shops open for the Boxing Day sales.

Keen shoppers started queuing before dawn to ensure they were first in line when the shops opened.

Harrods provided mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue, while other stores provided entertainment for the eagerly-awaiting shoppers.

Hundreds of people crowded outside Selfridges on London's Oxford Street, with queues snaking around the block. 

There were separate queues for different brands and a large security presence to help manage the crowd before the doors opened at 9am.

A spokeswoman for Selfridges said 3,500 were lined up outside the store, with the first people arriving before midnight last night. 

Shopping habits are changing, according to analysts

Sue West, retail director at Selfridges, said Boxing Day was a "a very big day" as the store only had two sales per year. 

Department store Liberty offered designer goods at a fraction of their usual price, while both Next and Marks & Spencer boasted discounts of up to 50% on sale items.

Early figures show those venturing out for the sales was up 8 percent on last year. 

In the hours leading up to 10.00am, footfall to UK high streets increased by 3.4 per cent year on year, to retail parks by 5.7 per cent and shopping centres by 22 per cent, according to retail data experts Springboard.

However, online sales started early this year, on Christmas Eve, and were predicted to steal away some of the crowds. 

House of Fraser, Harvey Nichols, Debenhams and John Lewis were among those to launch their sales ahead of Boxing Day.

A survey by Barclaycard found that almost a third (31%) of shoppers had planned to scour the web for bargains on Christmas Day, but only 27% are expected to make the trip to the stores on Boxing Day.

Consumer expert Jasmine Birtles, from Moneymagpie.com, said it's an act of "desperation" that large brands are clamouring for Boxing Day sales.

She said: "I think it's a mark of desperation that even the big names are going, 'look, we're on sale now, come and spend your money with us before you spend it anywhere else'.

"Because I think the shops are very aware that people have limited budgets now and they want a piece of that budget before anyone else does." 

Some 117 million visits to retail websites were estimated to have been made on Wednesday in the UK, with Boxing Day's figure set to rise to over 118 million.

Experian predicts that between December 24 and 26, some 45 million hours would be spent shopping online.

By the end of December, it is estimated there will have been three billion visits to retail websites in the UK, which will set a new single-month record.

Today's online sales alone are expected to bring in around £472.5 million.

Robert Goodman, Bluewater's general manager, said the shopping centre had prepared for a "bumper Boxing Day" this year.

"With the strongest retail offer to date, and with 50 new brands launching with us this year, we are expecting visitor numbers to be on a par with Boxing Day last year.

"This will begin what is likely to be our busiest six days of the year."

James Murray, digital insight manager at Experian, said: "Christmas 2013 has consistently outperformed 2012 on virtually every single shopping day this December, with online visits from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day up from last year, a record-breaking Cyber Monday and the emergence of the even busier Middle Cyber Monday.

"Shopping habits are changing, with Christmas Day becoming a significant shopping day during the period.

"As a result, we anticipate a more sustained shopping pattern during this period, moving away from the traditional peaks and troughs usually evident during holiday season."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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SFO Investigates Rolls-Royce Bribery Claims

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has started a formal investigation into bribery and corruption allegations at Rolls-Royce.

The claims first came to light a year ago when the SFO ordered the world's second-largest maker of aircraft engines to conduct an inquiry and hand over details of possible wrongdoing in China, Indonesia and other markets.

"We have been informed by the Serious Fraud Office that it has now commenced a formal investigation into these matters," Rolls-Royce said on Monday.

Last December, the company said it was co-operating with regulators relating to allegations of malpractice involving intermediaries in Indonesia and China.

The aerospace and defence group said then it had "identified matters of concern in these, and in other overseas markets."

Shares in the company, which operates in more than 50 countries across the world, were 0.2% down in the minutes following the announcement.

The group, which has major sites at Derby and Bristol and employs around 45,000 people, appointed veteran lawyer Lord Gold last year to review the company's compliance procedures in the wake of the claims.

In March, the company appointed BP director Ian Davis, a former managing director of management consultancy McKinsey & Co, as chairman.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Bargain Hunters Flock To Boxing Day Sales

Bargain hunters are set to flock to the high streets in their thousands today as shops open for the Boxing Day sales.

Shoppers are expected to start queuing up from dawn to ensure they are first in line when the shops open.

Harrods is kicking off its winter sale with the promise of mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue.

They will also be serenaded by a string quartet and be treated to a performance by a street magician.

Some online sales started on Christmas Eve and millions are believed to have already snapped up goods from home.

Some 117 million visits to retail websites were estimated to have been made on Wednesday in the UK, with Boxing Day's figure set to rise to over 118 million.

Shopping habits are changing, according to analysts

Robert Goodman, Bluewater's general manager, said: "We are ready for a bumper Boxing Day this year.

"With the strongest retail offer to date, with 50 new brands launching with us this year, we are expecting visitor numbers to be on a par with Boxing Day last year.

"This will begin what is likely to be our busiest six days of the year."

James Murray, digital insight manager at Experian, said: "Christmas 2013 has consistently outperformed 2012 on virtually every single shopping day this December, with online visits from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day up from last year, a record breaking Cyber Monday and the emergence of the even busier Middle Cyber Monday.

"Shopping habits are changing, with Christmas Day becoming a significant shopping day during the period.

"As a result, we anticipate a more sustained shopping pattern during this period, moving away from the traditional peaks and troughs usually evident during holiday season."

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SFO Investigates Rolls-Royce Bribery Claims

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has started a formal investigation into bribery and corruption allegations at Rolls-Royce.

The claims first came to light a year ago when the SFO ordered the world's second-largest maker of aircraft engines to conduct an inquiry and hand over details of possible wrongdoing in China, Indonesia and other markets.

"We have been informed by the Serious Fraud Office that it has now commenced a formal investigation into these matters," Rolls-Royce said on Monday.

Last December, the company said it was co-operating with regulators relating to allegations of malpractice involving intermediaries in Indonesia and China.

The aerospace and defence group said then it had "identified matters of concern in these, and in other overseas markets."

Shares in the company, which operates in more than 50 countries across the world, were 0.2% down in the minutes following the announcement.

The group, which has major sites at Derby and Bristol and employs around 45,000 people, appointed veteran lawyer Lord Gold last year to review the company's compliance procedures in the wake of the claims.

In March, the company appointed BP director Ian Davis, a former managing director of management consultancy McKinsey & Co, as chairman.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Weather Damages 'Biggest Xmas Shopping Day'

A predicted high street spending spree dubbed 'Manic Monday' has largely failed to materialise, with strong winds and heavy rain combining to force late-Christmas shoppers indoors.

Analysts had expected 15 million people to take to stores, spending £2.6m a minute on gifts, food, drink and decorations.

But the spending spree appears set to fall short of retailers' expectations after the bad weather disrupted travel and left shoppers seeking shelter.

Despite huge red signs announcing sales of up to 70%, many shops on London's Oxford Street were experiencing customer numbers they would see on a normal day rather than those you would expect just two days before Christmas.

One M&S shopper said: "With the weather, well, it's really quiet.

"A few years ago you wouldn't have been able to get in here."

Major indoor centres, however, were expected to have benefited from the storm.

The Waitrose department store-supermarket in London's Canary Wharf had long queues waiting at tills while car parks at Manchester's Trafford Centre were reported to be full.

Retailers had expected their biggest day of the year, with shoppers parting with about £3.6bn by the end of the day.

Visa expected to process 31 million transactions on UK cards with a peak between 1pm and 2pm as workers rushed out to the shops on their lunch break.

Visa predicted an average £15,000 per second would be spent on its cards.

Many retailers have been furiously discounting prices over the past few days in a bid to attract shoppers amid signs of a slow start to the big festive spend.

While the prospect of bargains bodes well for consumers who left their shopping late, there are fears the price cuts will leave the retail sector with a profits hangover after a bruising battle for business during 2013.

Large promotions have included a 30% discount across clothing lines at Marks & Spencer, as well as price cuts at Debenhams, Gap, Argos and BHS.

John Lewis confirmed on Sunday it had enjoyed record weekly sales with takings hitting £164m - up 4.2% on the same period last year - though its customers tend to be less affected by the squeeze on incomes than the average consumer.

Many supermarket chains planned to keep their biggest stores open 24 hours daily until late on Christmas Eve.

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SFO Investigates Rolls-Royce Bribery Claims

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has started a formal investigation into bribery and corruption allegations at Rolls-Royce.

The claims first came to light a year ago when the SFO ordered the world's second-largest maker of aircraft engines to conduct an inquiry and hand over details of possible wrongdoing in China, Indonesia and other markets.

"We have been informed by the Serious Fraud Office that it has now commenced a formal investigation into these matters," Rolls-Royce said on Monday.

Last December, the company said it was co-operating with regulators relating to allegations of malpractice involving intermediaries in Indonesia and China.

The aerospace and defence group said then it had "identified matters of concern in these, and in other overseas markets."

Shares in the company, which operates in more than 50 countries across the world, were 0.2% down in the minutes following the announcement.

The group, which has major sites at Derby and Bristol and employs around 45,000 people, appointed veteran lawyer Lord Gold last year to review the company's compliance procedures in the wake of the claims.

In March, the company appointed BP director Ian Davis, a former managing director of management consultancy McKinsey & Co, as chairman.

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Weather Damages 'Biggest Xmas Shopping Day'

A predicted high street spending spree dubbed 'Manic Monday' has largely failed to materialise, with strong winds and heavy rain combining to force late-Christmas shoppers indoors.

Analysts had expected 15 million people to take to stores, spending £2.6m a minute on gifts, food, drink and decorations.

But the spending spree appears set to fall short of retailers' expectations after the bad weather disrupted travel and left shoppers seeking shelter.

Despite huge red signs announcing sales of up to 70%, many shops on London's Oxford Street were experiencing customer numbers they would see on a normal day rather than those you would expect just two days before Christmas.

One M&S shopper said: "With the weather, well, it's really quiet.

"A few years ago you wouldn't have been able to get in here."

Major indoor centres, however, were expected to have benefited from the storm.

The Waitrose department store-supermarket in London's Canary Wharf had long queues waiting at tills while car parks at Manchester's Trafford Centre were reported to be full.

Retailers had expected their biggest day of the year, with shoppers parting with about £3.6bn by the end of the day.

Visa expected to process 31 million transactions on UK cards with a peak between 1pm and 2pm as workers rushed out to the shops on their lunch break.

Visa predicted an average £15,000 per second would be spent on its cards.

Many retailers have been furiously discounting prices over the past few days in a bid to attract shoppers amid signs of a slow start to the big festive spend.

While the prospect of bargains bodes well for consumers who left their shopping late, there are fears the price cuts will leave the retail sector with a profits hangover after a bruising battle for business during 2013.

Large promotions have included a 30% discount across clothing lines at Marks & Spencer, as well as price cuts at Debenhams, Gap, Argos and BHS.

John Lewis confirmed on Sunday it had enjoyed record weekly sales with takings hitting £164m - up 4.2% on the same period last year - though its customers tend to be less affected by the squeeze on incomes than the average consumer.

Many supermarket chains planned to keep their biggest stores open 24 hours daily until late on Christmas Eve.

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M&S Extends Clothing Sale Amid Poor Trading

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to extend heavy discounting on clothing into a second day on Sunday as it attempts to drive sales during the most crucial period of its trading year.

Sky News has learnt that the high street giant will run another sale offering 30% off all clothing lines just three days before Christmas amid growing expectations of one of the toughest festive periods for retailers in years.

While food sales are said to have been satisfactory, M&S is understood to have been disappointed by the response to Saturday's clothing sale, prompting executives to decide during an evening conference call to repeat the event on Sunday.

The company is far from alone on offering heavy discounts on clothing, with 50% off usual prices at Banana Republic, French Connection and Reisss, and up to 60% savings on some lines at Gap.

M&S is, though, the most closely-watched of any retailer on UK high streets because of its scale.

It has tended to shun such significant pre-Christmas discounts under the leadership of Marc Bolland, its chief executive, although it occasionally ran them under Sir Stuart Rose, his predecessor.

Mr Bolland has been attempting to improve M&S's clothing sales by introducing new management and a focus on greater quality, but faces an anxious wait to see whether that translates into adequate trading.

Standard Life Investments, one of the retailer's biggest shareholders, said in January that disappointing Christmas trading last year meant that Mr Bolland was on borrowed time, although many investors are keen to give his strategy more time to take effect.

Some analysts are forecasting a fall in sales during the important third-quarter period, although the like-for-like measurement that will be provided by retailers in January does not indicate the profitability of their sales.

M&S declined to comment on Saturday.

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Apple Strikes iPhone Deal With China Mobile

Apple has finally secured a deal to bring the iPhone to China Mobile, the world's biggest network, opening the door to a massive sales boost.

The state-owned network has more than 750 million subscribers.

The latest iPhone 5s and 5C will go on sale in the country from January 17 with analysts forecasting a sales surge of anywhere between 10 and 25 million over the next year.

China's granting of 4G licences earlier this month is thought to have helped the deal as the faster network is compatible with the iPhone.

In a statement promoting the deal, Apple and China Mobile said they were "excited" to finally be working together.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "Apple has enormous respect for China Mobile and we are excited to begin working together. China is an extremely important market for Apple and our partnership with China Mobile presents us the opportunity to bring iPhone to the customers of the world's largest network."

While popular around the world, the iPhone has faced tough competition in China from cheaper Android smartphones made by the likes of Samsung. Collectively, Android phones far outsell iPhone models.

Apple's cheaper 5C model, released earlier this year, was widely seen as an attempt to crack the Chinese market.

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Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In Four Days

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going and he says discounts are crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain, said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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M&S Extends Clothing Sale Amid Poor Trading

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to extend heavy discounting on clothing into a second day on Sunday as it attempts to drive sales during the most crucial period of its trading year.

Sky News has learnt that the high street giant will run another sale offering 30% off all clothing lines just three days before Christmas amid growing expectations of one of the toughest festive periods for retailers in years.

While food sales are said to have been satisfactory, M&S is understood to have been disappointed by the response to Saturday's clothing sale, prompting executives to decide during an evening conference call to repeat the event on Sunday.

The company is far from alone on offering heavy discounts on clothing, with 50% off usual prices at Banana Republic, French Connection and Reisss, and up to 60% savings on some lines at Gap.

M&S is, though, the most closely-watched of any retailer on UK high streets because of its scale.

It has tended to shun such significant pre-Christmas discounts under the leadership of Marc Bolland, its chief executive, although it occasionally ran them under Sir Stuart Rose, his predecessor.

Mr Bolland has been attempting to improve M&S's clothing sales by introducing new management and a focus on greater quality, but faces an anxious wait to see whether that translates into adequate trading.

Standard Life Investments, one of the retailer's biggest shareholders, said in January that disappointing Christmas trading last year meant that Mr Bolland was on borrowed time, although many investors are keen to give his strategy more time to take effect.

Some analysts are forecasting a fall in sales during the important third-quarter period, although the like-for-like measurement that will be provided by retailers in January does not indicate the profitability of their sales.

M&S declined to comment on Saturday.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In Four Days

By Emma Birchley, Sky News Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going and he says discounts are crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

It will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain, said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Tobacco Boss Quits Helm Of Silk Cut-Maker

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The executive who orchestrated Japan's biggest-ever takeover of a British company has quit his role at the helm of the manufacturer of Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut.

Sky News has learnt that Pierre de Labouchere, the president and chief executive of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), resigned with immediate effect.

The departure of Mr de Labouchere, who led Japan Tobacco's £7.5bn acquisition of Gallaher International in 2007, surprised analysts, who said they expected that the exit of such a senior executive would have been the subject of a public announcement.

JTI accounts for over half of its parent's global earnings and through its ownership of Gallaher's brands, which also included Mayfair, it now jostles with Imperial Tobacco for leadership of the UK cigarette market. British American Tobacco has a vast international presence but a comparatively small share of the UK market.

Mr de Labouchere has been replaced by Tom McCoy, previously the chief operating officer.

In a statement issued on Friday, a JTI spokesman said: "I confirm that Mr. Pierre de Labouchere has decided to resign from his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of JTI as of December 18th.

"Mr Thomas A McCoy has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of JTI. He brings in-depth knowledge of the business and a wealth of experience to this new responsibility. His 14 years with JTI have generated a proven track record of success in leading the international tobacco business at JTI."

JTI declined to comment on the reasons behind Mr de Labouchere's sudden departure but insiders said that another senior executive responsible for the company's mergers and acquisitions activity had also quit in recent days, suggesting some kind of strategic disagreement.

Mr de Labouchere, one of the most senior Frenchmen in a major Japanese company, led the takeover of Gallaher having previously been president of JR Reynolds' international operations, which were acquired by JTI in 1999.

JTI's UK operation is run directly by Jorge da Motta, who took over earlier this year.

He warned on his appointment that "the most challenging dynamic for the UK business is the high tax regime and the corresponding high level of non-UK duty paid cigarettes at a time when the Government is consulting on plain packaging".

"This makes the threat to legitimate businesses both small and large significant and dangerous," he added.

Headquartered in Geneva, JTI recorded sales of $11.8bn (£7.2bn) in 2012. The company has operations in more than 120 countries and about 25,000 employees.

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Christmas Debts 'Won't Be Cleared Until June'

The average family is going to take on debts this Christmas that will take until June to pay off, it has been claimed.

The Trades Union Congress has carried out research that shows that the typical family will add £685 to its borrowing by the time the festive season is over.

That will take a family on an average income 24 weeks to pay off, the labour organisation claims.

Last Christmas, one in six families borrowed money to pay for food, drinks and presents, with households borrowing an average of £654 per adult (Men £1,000, women £547).

Using average weekly earnings and savings data the TUC estimated that it took average-income earners 20 weeks to pay off this debt.

This year, consumer debt has increased by 4.9 per cent. The TUC's calculations estimate that it will take four more weeks for an average-income earner to pay back the extra debt burden they will take on.

If a minimum wage worker were to borrow the same sum it would take them an entire year working full-time to pay it off.

The TUC says the findings underline how ordinary people are not benefiting from the recovery and are instead facing a bigger struggle to pay off their debts.

The study has emerged on the day when the Bank of England has warned of the scale of the debt burden weighing on British families.

According to the TUC, British workers are currently suffering the longest real-wage squeeze since the 1870s, with inflation rising faster than wages for the last 42 months.

It says the government needs to make fairer pay rewards a priority.

Nicola Smith, head of economic and social affairs at the TUC, told Sky News: "It's to do with the fact that is an expensive time of the year for everybody, and with wages hardly having kept up with prices for the last four years, with family incomes under historic pressure, just meeting the basic costs of Christmas is going to mean a lot more people having to rely on credit."

She said the problem was that most growth in the economy was being provided by consumption and because pay was not keeping up with prices, the extra money people had to spend on buying goods was coming from borrowing.

"People are having to borrow to make up the extra spending that is driving growth in the economy," she said. "It's really worrying that that does not provide us with a sustainable basis for a recovery going forward."

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Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In 4 Days

By Emma Birchley, Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going. And offering discounts is crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

And it will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday, leaving extra time to spend.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Serco And G4S Braced For Investigation Outcome

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The two outsourcing giants at the centre of a scandal over the delivery of Government projects are braced for more bad news on Thursday as they fight to start bidding again for major Whitehall contracts.

Sky News understands that G4S and Serco will be informed in the coming hours about the outcome of a cross-Government probe of their work following the discovery that they had overcharged tens of millions of pounds in fees for monitoring prisoners on their release from jail.

Ministers are said to have decided that while the two companies have embarked on genuine attempts to rebuild their relationship with the Government, they have not yet done so sufficiently to enable them to be considered for significant contracts in the short term.

An announcement about the outcome is expected on Thursday although it could be delayed, say people close to the situation.

Whitehall insiders said on Wednesday that a settlement being thrashed out with the two FTSE-100 companies will include the repayment of well over £50m of fees that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) had decided had been wrongly paid.

One source added that fees relating to other contracts handled by the two companies may also have to be repaid, although the scale of these was unclear.

The financial impact is understood to be larger for Serco than the City is expecting. Last month, it said it had incurred £27m of costs relating to the electronic monitoring, or tagging, contract, as well as another for providing Prisoner Escort and Custody Services.

Serco, which is without a chief executive following the departure of Chris Hyman, added that the MoJ had "calculated that their interpretation of the difference on billing totalled low tens of millions of pounds since the contract commenced in 2005. Any such potential repayment and any other directly-related incremental costs, would be charged as further exceptional items."

A person close to the situation said Serco's repayment would be less than £100m but higher than shareholders had been led to anticipate.

The MoJ inquiry has been run in tandem with the Cabinet Office. It was unclear whether the former would make a separate announcement on Thursday, although it is understood to have discovered further shocking examples of charging irregularities as part of its review.

Ministers reacted furiously during the autumn when it emerged that G4S and Serco had billed Whitehall for tagging prisoners who had died, were in prison or were living abroad. Earlier this week, Capita was handed the electronic monitoring contract in their place.

The effective barring of G4S and Serco from bidding for new Government work has highlighted the dearth of companies able to provide key public services.

A Serious Fraud Office probe into the two companies is ongoing, although the Government's settlement with them is unlikely to include additional financial penalties beyond the repayment of the overcharged fees, one insider said.

G4S and Serco executives are understood to have been locked in meetings on Wednesday to negotiate the outcome of the Government's review of their work.

Serco is due to update the City on its performance in a pre-close trading statement on Thursday.

Restoring good relations with Whitehall is a priority for Ashley Almanza, G4S's new chief executive, who is attempting to protect about £700m in annual revenues flowing from a client that accounts for roughly 10% of the company's entire global turnover.

He took the helm of a business still reeling from the reputational crisis triggered by its failure to deliver enough security staff at last year's London Olympics.

"Our reviews into G4S and Serco's contracts are rigorous and extensive," Francis Maude, Cabinet Office Minister, said in November. "But when they report, and we are satisfied full health has been restored, we will move on quickly."

G4S, Serco, the Cabinet Office and the MoJ all declined to comment.

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HMRC Failing To Pursue Big Business, MPs Warn

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

The tax man is too keen to chase small businesses for unpaid tax and is not doing enough to prosecute multi-national firms, according to MPs.

The Public Accounts Committee claimed Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not know how much tax is lost through aggressive tax avoidance and said it should be more willing to pursue prosecutions.

The committee's chair, Margaret Hodge MP, said: "HMRC has not clearly demonstrated that it is on the side of the majority of taxpayers who pay their taxes in full."

She accused the department of allowing the Tax Gap, the theoretical amount that is not collected, to grow by £1bn in 2011/12 and of not doing enough about it.

She said: "HMRC holds back from using the full range of sanctions at its disposal.

"It pursues tax owed by the smaller businesses but seems to lose its nerve when it comes to mounting prosecutions against multinational corporations."

The committee's report said inspectors should be "more willing... to test the boundaries of the law".

"HMRC has not attempted to gather intelligence about how much tax revenue is lost through aggressive tax avoidance schemes," it claimed.

The focus on tax avoidance follows on from high profile cases like Starbucks - which was revealed last year to have only reported taxable profit in the UK once in 15 years.

The company has since promised to pay £20m.

In a statement a spokesman for HMRC said it "strongly disputes the conclusions in the Public Accounts Committee report and challenges the committee's selective and misleading use of figures".

The department said it had secured more than £50bn of additional tax from compliance work since 2010, including £23bn from large businesses.

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Airport Expansion: The Case For And Against

The news that new runways at Heathrow and Gatwick are on a shortlist of airport expansion options has been welcomed by the airline industry as well as business leaders.

But green campaigners, local residents and some politicians are worried about the effects on the environment, as the options were outlined in an interim report by Sir Howard Davies's Airports Commission.

There are no firm long-term proposals in the report - they will come when the commission makes its final report in the summer of 2015, after the next general election.

PRO-NEW RUNWAYS:

Heathrow argues that a third runway would raise its capacity to 740,000 flights a year, from the current limit of 480,000.

The airport said it would be able to cater for 130 million passengers compared to 70 million today, "allowing the UK to compete with our international rivals and providing capacity for the foreseeable future".

Chief executive Colin Matthews said: "Britain needs a world-class hub airport with the capacity to compete against Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. A third runway is the quickest, cheapest and surest way of connecting the UK to growth."

Some argue another runway at Heathrow will increase air pollution

The airport said a third runway would provide benefits to the UK worth £100bn and expansion would bring considerable benefits to the local community by protecting the 114,000 jobs already dependent on the airport and creating more than 70,000 new jobs.

Addressing environmental concerns, Heathrow said expansion could be met within EU climate change targets. Continued improvements to aircraft efficiency means air traffic could double by 2050 without a substantial increase in emissions, it argues.

Gatwick said expansion "can give the country the economic benefits it needs at an environmental cost it can afford with the lower fares and greater choice that passengers want. It can be delivered more quickly and at lower cost".

And the London Chamber of Commerce said: "Government should just get on and act on the short-term measures now. It will make no sense to delay any measures to enhance capacity until after the General Election.

"Businesses are crying out for aviation action now.  Political posturing would put the economic recovery at risk and threaten London's reputation as a world leading city."

ANTI-NEW RUNWAYS:

Local groups say the north-west runway plan at Heathrow will require significant demolition in the villages of Longford and Harmondsworth.

Anti-Heathrow expansion group Hacan have vowed to fight the Heathrow plans.

"We understand the strength of feeling of those living near Heathrow," Sir Howard said.

Countryside campaigners at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) also voiced concern at the options set out.

Georgia Wrighton, director of the CPRE in Sussex, said: "A second runway at Gatwick, together with sprawling development and car parks anticipated on a massive scale, would concrete over cherished open countryside.

"A heady cocktail of increased flights, HGV traffic and cars would erode the tranquillity of rural communities, and the health and quality of life of people living under its shadow."

Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP for the South East, said: "The political opposition to airport expansion in South East England is sadly melting away.

"There's no doubt that the Government will be pleased with this report. It gives them the cover they need to go on avoiding answering difficult questions on airport expansion and to prepare themselves for a colossal U-turn on Heathrow expansion.

"This report will be of great concern to my constituents near Gatwick and Heathrow. We know that any new runways at either airport will increase air pollution, destroy homes and countryside and mean more people's lives are blighted by flight noise."

Tory MP for Richmond in west London, Zac Goldsmith, who has many constituents who live under the flight path, told Sky News: "The case for expansion is very weak.

"The case for improving our road transport, our rail links to existing airports is very strong. If we did that, we would have enough capacity for many, many years."

Last week, Mr Goldsmith said any decision by the Prime Minister to back Heathrow expansion would represent an "off-the-scale betrayal" and David Cameron would "never be forgiven in west London" .

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who wants a new airport in the Thames Estuary, said a third runway at Heathrow would be "completely crackers".

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New Runways For Gatwick And Heathrow Airports

Building a controversial third runway at Heathrow airport has been shortlisted as one of the options for expansion by the Airports Commission in its first report.

The interim findings of an independent inquiry led by the former head of the Financial Services Authority, Sir Howard Davies, has also recommended a second runway for Gatwick airport.

Sir Howard has also said he would consider the idea of building a new airport in the Thames Estuary, plans for which have been backed by the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, although he did not include it on the shortlist of options.

He warned if the UK did not expand its airports then it would cost the economy £45bn over 60 years and that to cope with increasing passenger numbers the first new runway should be operation by 2030, the second by 2050.

Sir Howard said: "The UK enjoys excellent connectivity today. The capacity challenge is not yet critical but it will become so if no action is taken soon and our analysis clearly supports the provision of one net additional runway by 2030.

Heathrow dealt with 70 million passengers last year

"In the meantime we encourage the government to act on our recommendations to make the best of our existing capacity."

He said that politicians would have to chose which runway to build first - one at Gatwick or one at Heathrow - as work on them would not be able to be carried out at the same time.

A third runway for Heathrow has met with bitter opposition and the publication of the report will likely trigger a substantial political row.

The Conservative party made its opposition to plans for the airport's expansion – supported by the Labour government - part of its 2010 election manifesto and ruled a third runway out when the coalition came to power.

Among the most vociferous opponents have been Mr Johnson and the Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith, a keen environmentalist whose constituency is in the flight path.

Mr Johnson told Sky News that building another runway at Heathrow would be "bonkers".

He said that both the new runway options for Heathrow would involve "concreting over the M25 probably closing that major artery for five years at the least".

Plans for a third runway at Heathrow have been controversial

And he said that a second strip for Gatwick would make no difference to dealing with the air traffic.

He said: "A new airport in the inner estuary is the only credible hub option left, and the only one that would uphold this country's claim to be the natural financial, commercial and economic capital of Europe."

Last week he threatened to call for a judicial review if plans for the four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain, which at £112bn would cost five times as much as Heathrow expansion, were not included in the commission's report.

The commission said it had not shortlisted the Thames Estuary plan "because there are too many uncertainties and challenges surrounding them at this stage".

However, it will undertake further study of plans to see whether it was a "credible proposal" and may include it on the shortlist next summer.

Gatwick is running at 85% of its total capacity

The Airport Commission's final report will be submitted in the summer of 2015, after the next General Election, and the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin said the Government would not indicate a preference on options until after that.

Mr Goldsmith, who has suggested he would leave the Tory party over the issue, said last week that any decision by the Prime Minister to back Heathrow expansion would represent an "off-the-scale betrayal".

Heathrow is currently operating at 98% of its capacity with 65m travellers using it in 2012 but the report pointed out that it was so busy passengers suffered "a high level of delay and unreliability".

If it is not allowed to expand, those in favour of a third runway claim that travellers to Europe will opt to fly into airports at Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam instead, at a cost to the UK economy.

Heathrow representatives told the commission that a third runway could be operating by 2029 allowing 260,000 more flights a year.

Boris Johnson says a third runway for Heathrow would be "crackers"

There are two options for the extra runway - to build a 3,500m (11,500ft) strip to the north west of the site or to extend the northern runway to 6,000m (20,000ft) and use one half for take-offs and the other for landings.

The north west option would see 1,500 homes demolished and the loss of 30 listed buildings, the extension would see 720 homes flattened and affect eight listed buildings.

Heathrow chief executive Colin Matthews welcomed the report saying: "I think the report we received today is good news for trade, for jobs and for the UK as a whole."

However, Keith Taylor, Green Party MEP for the South East, said: "The political opposition to airport expansion in south east England is sadly melting away.

"There's no doubt that the Government will be pleased with this report. It gives them the cover they need to go on avoiding answering difficult questions on airport expansion and to prepare themselves for a colossal U-turn on Heathrow expansion."

The idea of expansion at Gatwick, which is currently running at 85% of its capacity and full capacity at peak times, has also met with opposition. It would be built to the south of the existing runway.

Georgia Wrighton, director of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England in Sussex, said: "A second runway at Gatwick, together with sprawling development and car parks anticipated on a massive scale, would concrete over cherished open countryside."

The report did not include options for a new runway for Stansted or Birmingham airports, as had been suggested.

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Carrefour Plans £1.7bn Shopping Malls Deal

Carrefour has announced plans to buy 127 shopping centres across Europe in a €2bn (£1.69bn) deal.

France's largest retailer, which already owns nearly 10,000 hypermarkets, supermarkets and convenience shops across the continent, has joined forces with eight investors to buy the centres in France, Spain and Italy.

Many of the Klepierre sites, which are located in France, Spain and Italy and generate an annual rental income of €135m (£114m), are close to its existing stores.

They will sit alongside its existing 45 malls in a new company, 42% of which will be held by Carrefour with the rest held by investors.

Carrefour has been struggling for years, even before the European debt crisis hit its biggest markets.

Georges Plassat took over as chief executive last year, pledging to cut costs and improve the fortunes of the company's 1,300 hypermarkets.

Carrefour's share price climbed more than 1.5% in the hours following the announcement.

The deal, which Carrefour said would make it one of Europe's leading shopping mall companies, is subject to regulatory approval.

The company is expected to close the deal in March or April next year.

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Ticket Rip-Off: Prices 'Marked Up' Online

Theatre-goers and music fans face mark-ups of as much as 38% on the value of some online tickets, according to a Which? study.

Compulsory charges are added to 72% of tickets sold online, said the consumer group, which is launching a campaign to bring down the cost.

Buying online is convenient, offers variety and quick transactions, but nearly half of those surveyed (49%) said the charges had put them off buying tickets for an event altogether.

In one study, only 3% of tickets were being sold at face value without any additional compulsory fees like booking or delivery charges.

Which? says in some cases the practice is illegal.

Which? says that many consumers feel ripped off by ticketing charges

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said: "Consumers tell us they are feeling ripped off by the level of ticketing charges and the lack of transparency means it is almost impossible for people to compare prices when booking online.

"We want to see the ticketing industry Play Fair on Ticket Fees, so that all charges are displayed up-front and with a clear explanation of what they're for."

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told Sky News: "To suggest that ticket fees are hidden is utterly misleading and factually incorrect. 

"Before a customer purchases a ticket, any additional fee is always displayed clearly.

"The fees cover a wide range of costs to provide the services which ensure the best and easiest possible experience for our customers from purchasing a ticket to accessing the event."

One explanation for the additional fees may be the acts themselves. They want their ticket prices to seem as low as possible, leaving the ticket agency to tack on the fee.

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Ireland Exits Bailout As Economy Turns Around

Ireland has become the first country in the eurozone to exit a bailout programme it was forced to take when it fell on hard times.

The country's economy, previously dubbed the Celtic Tiger because of it incredible growth, needed the emergency measure because its revenues fell and expenses increased in the wake of the financial crisis.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the exit sent out a "powerful signal internationally, that Ireland is fighting back, that the spirit of our people is as strong as ever".

He said: "Ireland is now moving in the right direction. Our economy is starting to recover. While we still have far too many people out of work, jobs are being created."

The bailout programme allowed the country access to £72bn (85bn euros) in cash to help pay its bills.

But the ready supply of money, from the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and EU, came at a price.

Experts from the IMF, ECB and EU were able to take partial control of Ireland's economy.

It led to a period of austerity, with taxes being raised and government spending cut, resulting in thousands of public jobs being lost.

It was also viewed as a national humiliation, with the public appalled that its leaders had been forced to go 'cap in hand' to outside bodies.

The government claims that the measures have helped Ireland's economy and jobs are now being created at a faster rate than for years.

The amount of interest Ireland was paying on its government debt began to increase as uncertainty over the country's future intensified and this is widely seen as the main reason for the problems.

The rate at which it borrows money has now fallen, which has allowed it to bring public expenditure under control.

Ireland is some distance ahead of other countries that suffered a similar fate.

Portugal is predicted to complete its programme next year, but Greece could be many years away yet. Other EU countries that are not members of the euro also face controls on their economies for some time.

Despite the bailout exit, Ireland's finance minister has warned the country is not out of danger yet.

He said the signs of sustained improvement were good, but it depended on the country's economy continuing to grow.

Michael Noonan said on Friday: "This isn't the end of the road. This is a very significant milestone on the road. But we must continue with the same types of policies.

"The real heroes and heroines of this are the Irish people. People are beginning to spend. Property prices are improving... it's fragile.

"But in my view things are building well and I would hope that next year would be better for a lot of people who have made a lot of sacrifices."

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Virgin Money To Launch Current Account Trial

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

The banking arm of Sir Richard Branson's business empire will on Monday become the latest high street lender to begin an assault on Britain's lucrative current account market with the launch of a pilot among its 3000 employees.

Sky News understands that Virgin Money, one of the country's fastest-growing banking groups, will unveil the trial ahead of a full launch scheduled for next year.

It will mark a potentially-significant phase in efforts to bolster competition in the current account market, with well over 80% of accounts currently supplied by the five biggest lenders: the state-backed Lloyds Banking Group, owner of HBOS, and Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns NatWest; Barclays, HSBC and Santander UK.

Once the staff trial has been completed, Virgin Money will target consumers who are underserved by the major lenders, offering a basic account with no fees or charges and free access to the UK ATM network of cash machines.

Sir Richard Branson celebrates his acquistion of Northern Rock in Newcastle

Doing so is expected to be loss-making for Virgin Money, according to analysts, meaning that the availability of the product is likely to be restricted to those consumers without an existing current account.

A wider launch will get underway in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the first quarter of next year, with nationwide coverage and a digital banking service likely to be available by the end of 2014, according to people with knowledge of Virgin Money's plans.

Virgin Money executives are understood to be confident of making a serious impression on the current account market by utilising the network of Northern Rock branches and infrastructure that it acquired in 2011, and through a marketing campaign emphasizing the parent brand's credentials of service and value.

"There won't be hidden charges or gimmicks. It will be about delivering for consumers," an insider said on Sunday.

Sir Richard has said previously that he wanted to offer a choice between 'free' current accounts and those which incur a small up-front fee. It is unclear whether that will be the case as Virgin Money ultimately grows its presence in the sector in the coming years.

The issue of current account charges is becoming more intensively-debated as banks face up to the increased regulatory costs that will be triggered by the ring-fencing structure being introduced as part of the Government's banking reforms.

Under the new rules, so-called universal banks such as Barclays and RBS will have to establish separate subsidiaries for their high street and investment banking arms, which the Independent Commission on Banking said in 2011 was likely to cost the industry several billion pounds annually.

Virgin Money is likely to be an indirect beneficiary of the new rules because its sole focus on retail banking will mean that it does not have to process many of the complex structural changes required by its competitors.

Taking over Northern Rock was a crucial moment in Virgin Money's expansion

It is also likely to be aided by the new seven-day switching system for current account providers which came into effect during the autumn. Barclays and the Co-operative Bank are among those which have seen net losses of customers, the latter as a result of the adverse publicity over its £1.5bn capital hole and allegations about the behaviour of its former chairman, Paul Flowers.

During the last year, Virgin Money sold more than 1.5 million new products to customers, having established a significant market share in loans, insurance and savings.

Its takeover of Northern Rock was a crucial moment in its expansion, but the length of time between that deal and the current account launch reflects both Virgin Money's determination to develop the right products and the pitfalls of associating its brand with the poor service that has blighted British banking.

Senior executives at the major banks admit that they have only been able to avoid charging for current accounts because they have been subsidised by the sale of products such as payment protection insurance (PPI).

The mis-selling of PPI and a range of other products have cost the major banks billions of pounds in compensation and further tarnished the industry's reputation.

Last week, Tesco said it was poised to create hundreds of jobs by entering the current account market at a time when the supermarket group is wrestling with challenges in its core retailing business.

Other new current account providers include Metro Bank, which is raising nearly £400m from investors in an attempt to accelerate its growth.

Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Virgin Money chief executive, declined to comment on the details of its plans but told Sky News: "Our entry into the current account market is a significant step on our quest to make banking better."

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Johnson To Mull Legal Move Over Airport Snub

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Boris Johnson is expected to consider a legal challenge to an expected snub next week to his proposals for a new four-runway airport in the Thames Estuary.

Sky News understands that the Mayor of London has discussed the option of seeking a judicial review with his advisers if the Airports Commission sidelines the idea.

Mr Johnson is said not to have decided yet about whether to mount a potentially lengthy and costly legal challenge over the Commission's interim report, which will be published on Tuesday.

However, he said this week that a shortlist of options which favoured the expansion of Heathrow would be "scandalous".

Expansion of Heathrow is expected to head shortlist of options

"You would expect him not to rule anything out at this stage," said a person familiar with the London Mayor's approach to the issue.

The Commission, led by Sir Howard Davies, the former director of the London School of Economics, is expected to propose moving forward with three options for expanding aviation capacity in the south-east.

Each of the trio was said to be likely to include Heathrow, although Gatwick, the busiest single-runway airport in the world, was increasingly confident this weekend that standalone expansion of the Sussex site is now likely to be among them.

Speculation this week had suggested that Gatwick would only be included as part of a proposal that would also involve a third runway at Heathrow.

Mr Johnson met Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin on Thursday

However, Gatwick's owners have insisted that such a development would not be economically viable and that they would not proceed with a second runway under that scenario.

Sky News revealed on Thursday that David Cameron had met Sir Howard to discuss the interim report in recent days, and had urged the Commission to include a non-Heathrow option for consideration.

That could yet mean a revival of the London Mayor's proposal or an expansion focused on London's third airport, Stansted.

Sir Howard also met Chancellor George Osborne earlier this week while Sky News understands that Mr Johnson met Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin on Thursday.

The publication of an interim report, which will set out several options meriting further analysis ahead of a formal recommendation after the 2015 general election, was supposed to defuse political tensions over Britain's future aviation capacity.

Sky News understands, though, that the Government will publish an official response in the new year, underlining the difficulty it faces in navigating an issue that will feature in the manifestos of the main political parties in 18 months' time.

Stewart Wingate, Gatwick's chief executive, said: "Gatwick's case for a second runway is compelling. Compared to Heathrow we are cheaper, quicker, have a significantly lower environmental impact and we are the most deliverable solution.

"Heathrow's answer for passengers is to re-establish their monopoly which will mean high fares forever, and huge environmental damage to their local communities."

The requirement for new runway capacity has become more pressing as the south-east's airports reach bursting point.

Rival European hubs in Frankfurt and Paris are growing rapidly, while Dubai is expected to overtake Heathrow as the biggest airport by international passengers within two years.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson declined to comment on Saturday.

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UK Plans Cap On EU Immigrants - Leaked Report

The number of people allowed to move to the UK from European Union countries could be capped at 75,000 under proposals set out by the Home Office, it has been claimed.

A leaked Government report on the effect on Britain of the EU's policy allowing free movement of people suggests a cap could cut net migration from EU countries by 30,000 from the current 106,000 a year.

The document, seen by The Sunday Times, also suggests blocking EU immigrants from claiming benefits or tax credits for their first five years in the UK.

The proposals would mean professionals and highly-skilled migrants from countries such as Germany, Holland or Austria could only move to the UK if they had a job offer.

Lower-skilled workers would be allowed to settle if they had jobs on an approved list of occupations for which there was a national shortage.

The leaked open borders review was overseen by Home Secretary Theresa May as part of the Government's assessment of the balance of powers between the UK and Brussels.

Other proposals in the paper include giving British citizens a "national preference" by explicitly reserving jobs for them and limiting labour movement from poorer countries joining the EU to the UK until their GDP is 75% of Britain's.

Prime Minister David Cameron on Saturday said tougher controls on freedom of movement within the EU will be needed in the future and suggested a GDP-based restriction.

He said: "When other countries join the European Union we should be insisting on longer transitions and perhaps even saying until you reach a proper share of an average European Union GDP you can't have freedom of movement.

"The reason for that is if you look at migration between Britain and Germany or France and Germany, countries of pretty even GDP, the movements are pretty much balanced.

"Its only when you have a real imbalance when you have a poor country and a much wealthier country that you get these vast movements."

But any attempt to challenge free movement rules is likely to face resistance in Europe.

European Commissioner Laszlo Andor recently hit out at British politicians' comments about the lifting of restrictions on Bulgaria and Romania at the end of this month, saying on Twitter: "Responsible politicians should avoid legitimising xenophobic reactions that indeed weaken the European spirit."

He also served notice that the UK could be taken to court over existing proposals to tighten the rules on migrants claiming benefits.

Asked about the report, a Home Office spokesman said: "We do not comment on leaked documents."

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