April 18 (Reuters) - 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

- AstraZeneca Plc has been tracking Medivation Inc for six months, and is yet to make a formal offer, but has held internal talks about a bid. (http://bit.ly/1YBUxf7)

- Standard Chartered Plc has spoken to Paul Tucker, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England, about becoming its chairman. (http://bit.ly/1YBUAHP)

The Guardian

- Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc has reduced its global lending to oil and gas companies and doubled its green energy loans in the UK to 1 billion pounds ($1.42 billion) a year, according to new figures released. (http://bit.ly/1YBUIqY)

- Britain would be "permanently poorer" if voters choose to leave the EU, George Osborne has warned, as a Treasury study claimed the economy would shrink by 6 percent by 2030, costing every household the equivalent of 4,300 pounds a year. (http://bit.ly/1YBUOPg)

The Telegraph

- Andrew Mackenzie, the chief executive of struggling mining giant BHP Billiton Plc, has joined the chorus of FTSE 100 bosses pleading with voters to opt to remain in the EU, claiming a Brexit could result in a 'decade of disruption' to trade agreements. (http://bit.ly/1WzOt8C)

Sky News

- Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers has insisted border arrangements between Ireland and the UK would not change if the public votes to leave the EU. (http://bit.ly/1WzOAkx)

The Independent

- Norway's $860 billion sovereign wealth fund has unveiled the first list of miners and power producers to be excluded from its portfolio following a ban on coal investments. (http://ind.pn/1WzOIQM)

($1 = 0.7054 pounds) (Compiled by Sangameswaran S in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney)