Barclay's Announces Further Job Cuts

Barclays has announced it will cut a further 2,100 jobs from its UK banking business, in addition to the same number of jobs it cut on Tuesday. The latest jobs will go in the retail and commercial banking sectors. The company said it hoped to avoid compulsory redundancies. Like many banks worldwide, Barclays has been hit hard by the credit crunch.

Coleen Rooney's Brother Held Over Assault

The brother of Coleen Rooney has been arrested in relation to a bar attack. A spokeswoman for Coleen, married to Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney, confirmed Anthony McLoughlin, 19, was held over a disturbance at Lounge Inn in Southport. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and two others were charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray. A man, aged 34, suffered facial injuries in the bar on 29 December. Coleen's spokesman said: "All we can say is to confirm he was arrested and confirm he was released without charge." Merseyside Police said Mr McLoughlin was released pending further inquiries.

Retirement Company Agrees to Change Lease Agreements

The OFT has secured an agreement from a major builder of UK retirement apartments to amend its leases, especially in relation to the re-sale of properties. McCarthy & Stone plc has agreed to remove from future contracts, and not enforce in existing contracts, a term in its leases that involved charging consumers a 'transfer' fee of 1 per cent of the sale price when the property was subsequently sold. The OFT considered this term was likely to be in breach of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 (the UTCCRs). The company said that it did not agree with the OFT's view but co-operated with discussions and agreed to the changes. The company has also agreed to amend various other terms.

New Food And Environment Research Agency Launched

A new national research centre for food and the environment will strengthen Defra's ground-breaking food, farming and environmental research programme, Farming Minister Jane Kennedy announced today. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) will bring together Defra's Central Science Laboratory, Plant Health Division, Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate and the Plant Variety Rights Office and Seeds Division as one agency. This will significantly strengthen Defra's work in plant and crop protection, food chain safety, environmental risk assessment and crises response and promote better integration between policy development, scientific evidence and inspection services.

New Finance Director For Highways Agency

Stephen (Steve) Dauncey, currently Finance Director for Network Operations within the Highways Agency, has been appointed as Finance Director for the Highways Agency. Steve has been with the Agency for three years having previously worked in the nuclear industry, both civil and defence, for 14 years. He has a broad range of operational experience and has developed his professional finance and leadership skills at managerial and director levels. Steve is a Fellow of the Association of Certified Accountants.

(JM/KMcA)