PRESS DIGEST- British Business - July 28

July 28 - 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

FACTORIES STRUGGLE TO SHAKE OFF BURDEN OF STRONG POUND

Order books for British manufacturers grew at their slowest rate in two years this month as exports continued to struggle in the face of the strong pound, according to a key industry survey. (http://thetim.es/1Io33Vq)

The Guardian

NORTHERN IRELAND DENIED EXTRA WELFARE AID AHEAD OF US STORMONT TALKS

Northern Ireland will not receive any extra finance to cushion the impact of welfare reforms that could destabilise power sharing in the region, cabinet minister Theresa Villiers warned, ahead of separate trips to Washington this week for two politicians with opposing views on the province's economic future. (http://bit.ly/1Io3fUB)

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT TURNING TO MORE PRIVATE MONEY FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS

The Scottish government is turning to increased private-sector funding to pay for a multi-billion-pound spending programme after a Brussels ruling that has delayed major public projects in Scotland. (http://bit.ly/1Io3rDo)

The Telegraph

ECB WARNED TO PUMP MORE MONEY TO SAVE EURO ZONE AS VAROUFAKIS DENIES HACKING INTO GREEK TAX SYSTEM

The European Central Bank should stand ready to use the full force of its financial fire power to stop the euro zone from falling into renewed turmoil in the wake of the Greek crisis, according to the International Monetary Fund. (http://bit.ly/1Io47ss)

BARCLAYS 'MAY HAVE TO RAISE 5 BLN STG TO KEEP UP WITH RIVALS'

Barclays Plc may have to ask investors for more money to bolster its capital levels, just two years after last tapping shareholders for funds. The bank could need as much as 5 billion pounds ($7.78 billion), analysts at Bernstein Research said, as it has fallen behind rivals. (http://bit.ly/1Io4d3g)

Sky News

HSBC FACES THREAT OF FTSE EXIT OVER HQ REVIEW

Sky News has learnt that HSBC Holdings Plc, which announced in April that it was launching a formal review of its domicile, has been discussing with its advisers the implications of an enforced ejection from the FTSE-100. (http://bit.ly/1MvUPBE)

MERS FEARS CLOSE MANCHESTER A&E DEPARTMENT

Two suspected cases of the respiratory virus MERS have forced A&E at Manchester Royal Infirmary to close for several hours. The patients were isolated for tests and treatment before the department reopened. (http://bit.ly/1Io3MWM)

The Independent

GOOGLE VENTURES GIVES 39 MLN STG BACKING TO LONDON'S SECRET ESCAPES

Secret Escapes, the London-based travel website, has won backing from Google's venture capital arm, which has jointly led a 38.7 million pounds ($60.22 million) fundraising for the flash sales site. (http://ind.pn/1Io3S0r)