A report aimed at slashing business red tape would fail to spark growth, a Liberal Democrat MP claimed today.

The uphill challenge faced by the new boss of Mothercare was underlined today as a dismal UK performance dragged the parenting retailer to a £103 million loss.

IMF head Christine Lagarde has said she hopes that elections in debt-stricken Greece produce a government committed to sticking to the terms of the country's rescue package.

Sales of airport security scanners picked up in the last quarter, according to Smiths, after being hit by reduced spending during the recession. But the engineering group said its military and cargo sales were still under pressure.

Fairtrade does what it says on the tin: it is about better prices for smallholder farmers and workers in developing countries. Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which too often leaves the poorest, weakest producers earning less than it costs them to grow their crops. It's a bit like a national minimum wage for global trade. Not perfect, not a magic want, not a panacea for all the problems of poverty, but a step in the right direction.

The former Cabinet minister Lord Hutton will this week be named as chairman of the first company to be spun out of Whitehall as part of the Government's vision to create a "John Lewis economy" of employee-owned businesses.

Outlook Oh dear. Barclays' PR offensive with its fractious corps of investors appears not to have been going too well. How else to explain yesterday's unscheduled announcement of changes to the remuneration arrangements of chief executive Bob Diamond and his finance director Chris Lucas.

Nearly 500 jobs were under threat today after supermarket milk supplier Dairy Crest announced plans to close two dairies.

Fashion: The new gold standard

Workers at the Mini car plant have rejected a pay offer, raising the threat of the first strike at the factory since 1984.

Scrapping public holidays could add £18 billion to the nation's annual economic output, according to a think-tank.

Patience may be the best option for delayed cupboards and a driver will have to accept trackers on his work car

The Government's controversial reforms to the NHS became law today after a tortuous 14-month passage through Parliament, when the Queen granted Royal Assent to the Health and Social Care Bill.

The Government today sparked a fierce debate over employment rights after calling for evidence on whether rules covering the dismissal of workers were too “complex” and should be changed.