PRESS DIGEST-British Business - Sept 17

Sept 17 - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

The chancellor must overhaul the apprenticeship levy by the end of the year or risk losing a generation of young workers untrained to cope with the rising use of automation and artificial intelligence in the workplace, the CBI has warned. http://bit.ly/2O5HcAg

Pressure continued to build on China's economy last month as industrial production growth in the country slowed to its weakest rate in almost 18 years. http://bit.ly/2O4HqaM

The Guardian

Pawnbroker Albemarle & Bond has been criticised for "woefully inadequate" communication with customers hoping to retrieve belongings after the company shut its shops and website last week. http://bit.ly/31qdGcg

Britain's greenhouse gas emissions from road transport have continued to grow since 1990 despite more efficient cars because traffic has increased by almost a third, according to government figures. http://bit.ly/2O8I86L

The Telegraph

Britain has extended its lead as the biggest centre in the world for trading foreign currencies and interest rate derivatives, defying fears that the country could lose its status due to Brexit. http://bit.ly/30aOJVL

Jo Bamford, son of JCB billionaire Anthony Bamford, is in talks to rescue at least part of Northern Irish bus builder Wrightbus after a rescue attempt by local businessman Darren Donnelly collapsed on Monday. http://bit.ly/2O4oMj7

Sky News

U.S. private equity firm Advent International has won its battle to buy defence and aerospace group Cobham Plc for $5 billion, joining a growing list of overseas suitors taking advantage of the weak pound to pick up highly-rated British companies. http://bit.ly/3068ldu

The former chief executive of National Grid Plc will this week be named as the chairman of ultrafast broadband network CityFibre, which is vying to become BT Group plc's biggest British rival. http://bit.ly/31oj2Vj

The Independent

Britain's Labour party would look to axe government contracts with Amazon.com Inc and other companies if they were found to have avoided paying their fair share of tax, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said. http://bit.ly/3068bCU

Investment by UK companies is on track to suffer its longest sustained period of decline in 17 years due to continuing Brexit uncertainty, the British Chambers of Commerce has warned. http://bit.ly/306Hj5N (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)