RAP's chief executive quits

WHAT a difference a few years makes. When Ladbroke warned in November 1995 that the National Lottery was hammering its betting shop business, its shares slumped to a low of 123p. Since then it has not looked back. Along with the rest of the betting industry is has mounted an impressive fightback against the Lottery, introducing successful new number games like 49s. Its Hilton hotels business has boomed on the back of a buoyant industry around the world. Last year, underlying profits jumped 39 per cent to pounds 226m.

Companies are increasingly encouraging their executive directors to take on non-executive roles on other organisations' boards, according to research published today by Monks Partnership, the remuneration advisers. The firm's Survey of Non-Executive Director Practice and Fees shows that just under 60 per cent of industrial companies with turnover greater than pounds 500m encourage the practice, while in smaller companies the proportion is just over 40 per cent.

Bridget Jones's Diary, the bestselling fictional tale of a 30- something singleton, last night won Book of the Year at the British Book Awards.

Director: Neil Labute Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Stacy Edwards, Matt Malloy

Pru meets deadline

Amateur boxing can seem to provide a healthier version of a sport whose professional face is too often tarnished by greed and cynical match- making. At the Hilton Hotel, London, on Monday this week England's team took on the United States and convincingly defeated them 5-2.

Amateur boxing can seem to provide a healthier version of a sport whose professional face is too often tarnished by greed and cynical match- making. At the Hilton Hotel, London, on Monday this week England's team took on the United States and convincingly defeated them 5-2.

Ladbroke yesterday announced its intention to rapidly expand its hotel chain by stepping up its alliance with Hilton Hotel Corporation (HHC), the US hotel giant, and unveiling plans to speed up its hotel opening programme.

Ladbroke Group, the hotels-to-betting concern, is likely to please when it announces its interim figures on Thursday, for the six months to 30 June.

The battle for control of ITT Corporation was re-ignited yesterday when Hilton Hotels Corporation announced that it was significantly increasing the value of its hostile bid for the group to a sky-high $70 a share.

Sir: Imagine a pipe long enough to stretch around the world one- and-a-half times. Imagine this same pipe contains 10 million separate joints and is buried deep below ground. Now imagine the pipe springs a leak. That's the problem facing the country's 18 water supply companies ("Six firms losing war on leakage", 17 July).

Sir: Robert Ayling's attempt (letter, 11 July) to deride Andreas Whittam Smith's condemnation of his company's oppressive tactics beggars belief. Mr Ayling does not deny the truth at the heart of his staff's decision to strike - threats and intimidation.

David Llewellyn sets the scene for today's battle over who runs rugby