What the papers say
A regular Monday morning look at how the weekend's papers reported issues affecting the licenced trade.
The Times, Financial Times, Telegraph.
All three papers report bar and restaurants could be in line for a refund on the tax they have paid on tips left by customers.
According to the papers:
HM Revenue & Customs has climbed down over the way it taxes tips paid to hospitality industry staff.
It signalled it would refund some employers who had been paying too much national insurance on staff tips.
It said if a contract of employment included the promise of a share of the tronc or if tips were being used to fund the minimum wage, the employer would no longer have to pay NI contributions on those payments.
The British Hospitality Association is trying to get clarification so the industry can operate without the fear of having a tax problem in the future.
S&N PROFITSThe Sunday Telegraph, Independent on Sunday.
Both papers report a good year at S&N Scottish & Newcastle is expected on Tuesday to report full-year pre-tax
profits up 6% to £396m.
New rumours of a tie up with Carlsberg, its partner in the Baltic Beverages joint venture, have given shares a lift.
Cadbury Schweppes will report the same day. The Independent on Sunday predicts that pre-tax full-year profits will rise from £886m to £960m.
Like-for-like sales are expected to meet expectations and rise between 4% and 6%.
HEINEKEN: good news expected but city fancies mergerThe Business
According to the paper:
Analysts are forecasting positive news on organic sales growth when Heineken chief executive Jean Francois van Boxmeer announces his first annual results on Wednesday.
Brokers Lehman Brothers think the recent share price rise means the brewing giant is now pretty much fully valued.
They have reduced their 2006 earnings estimate by 2% to reflect the likelihood of increased marketing in the US to support the national roll-out of Heineken's Premium Lite brand.
And they believe that a merger or sale cannot be ruled out in the longer term.
BARS PROSPERThe Sunday Times
Bars to prosper as town centres die a Parliamentary report says bars and restaurants are among the few businesses predicted to survive in Britain's better-off high streets as leading supermarkets carve up town centres.
MPs BARRED?Financial Times
The FT reports working mens clubs are seeking a blanket ban on MPs to show their outrage at the smoke vote.
Several working men's clubs in the North East have contacted the Club and Institute Union (CIU) suggesting MPs be barred.
The Northumberland CIU has been inundated with calls from angry clubmen.
