'UK recession finally over'

Britain's economy finally exited its deepest recession since the 1930s in the fourth quarter of last year, growing by just 0.1% compared to the previous quarter, official data showed today. The keenly-awaited figure, which was much weaker than the average forecast of 0.4% expansion, brings to an end six consecutive quarters of contraction, which saw the economy shrink by around 6%, or 10% compared to where it would now have been had the slump not occurred - The Guardian​

Gordon Brown will today praise the success of action taken to fight the slump - as official figures are set to show Britain's economy is finally growing again. The PM will say government policies helped keep people in work and in their homes, speeding up the recovery. And unlike other slumps, unemployment has fallen by 7,000 - The Mirror​

The minimum pricing of alcohol in Scotland should be set at 50p per unit — 10p more than that proposed by the SNP government, according to the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The society, whose members include experts in health, public policy, economics and law, said that a minimum price of 40p would be insufficient to reduce consumption - The Times​

Mitchells & Butlers, the pub group locked in a bitter row with its largest shareholder, has dismissed minor 11th-hour concessions offered by currency trader, Joe Lewis, ahead of a critical shareholder vote on Thursday - The Guardian​

Hundreds of thousands of workers could pay £1,300 too much tax next year due to a major Revenue and Customs computer blunder. A new system has sent out a stream of incorrect tax codes. Many employees have received two or three different codes in the post - and in some cases all have been wrong - Daily Mail​