The home affairs select committee chairman, Labour's Keith Vaz, backed the call by the chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, for a minimum price for alcohol. Vaz said cheap alcohol had led to a "binge drinking culture" and the government should accept the proposal "in full" - The Guardian
Wellington Pub Company: The £184 million of debt held by the tenanted pub company controlled by the Reuben brothers and managed by Criterion Asset Management has been put on notice of a possible downgrade by Fitch, the debt rating agency, after a 4.6 per cent fall in underlying earnings in 2008 and a sharp rise in bad debts - The Times
Pubs, museums and churches could be used for adult education classes in a £20m government plan to promote informal learning in England. The government's White Paper on adult education proposes that more than 7,000 rooms in public buildings and private firms could provide space for lessons - BBC
Small firms will be hit by a five per cent rise in business rates after ministers rejected appeals for a U-turn. Businesses struggling to survive the recession had hoped to escape the rise, which is based on a rate 50 times the current level of inflation - The Daily Mail
Bargain hunting drinkers who drive across the border to get cheap alcohol in Northern Ireland could be putting thousands of jobs in the Republic at risk. The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI) warned that 9,000 people could lose their jobs if trends continue - BBC