What the Sunday papers said
Local councils are to be given sweeping powers to investigate homes for identity card evasion and levy hefty fines on occupants found without one. An "obscure" Whitehall consultation paper, released over the Christmas holiday, reveals that town hall officials will be asked to police the scheme by using the Electoral Register and cross checking it with the proposed Identity Card Database to identify those homes and individuals without cards. Those failing to register for a card or notify the authorities of a change of address face fines of up to £2,500. The paper throws into doubt the government's assertion that possession of an identity card would be voluntary. - Sunday Telegraph
Oliver Heald, shadow constitutional affairs secretary said there was growing concern over what he called 'Big Brother' databases, following revelations that local authorities would be given the power to cross reference the Electoral Register with an identity card database to root out those without a card. "Residents will be alarmed at the prospect of town hall bureacrats being told to investigate people's homes for ID card, backed up with the threat of fines," he said. A Home Office spokesman said the ID card scheme would remain voluntary until Parliament agreed it should become compulsory. - Sunday Express
London-listed brewer SABMiller headed the list of leading brewing and pub stocks last week, with its shares at 1112p up 4.81 per cent on the previous week. Greene King shares rose 2.76 per cent to 763p, Wolverhampton & Dudley's shares edge up 0.46 per cent, while Punch Taverns - which last week announced the completion of its acqusition of Spirit Group - saw is shares rise 2.41 per cent to 869p. Enterprise Inns stock fell 0.64 per cent to 932p, while Mitchells & Butlers shares fell 1.85 per cent. - The Business
Marco Pierre White has entered the pub food sector with all guns blazing following the opening of his Yew Tree Inn venue near Newbury, Berkshire. However, food critic Jay Rayner suggests the great chef may be firing blanks with his venture, while his use of language on menus is bemusing. "If he insists on putting the word 'properly' on his description of how his partridge is garnished, why doesn't he put the words 'completely buggered up' by the shepherd's pie? It was one of the nastiest examples I have ever tasted," says Mr Rayner. - The Observer (magazine)
