PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Oct 2

Oct 2 (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

The Financial Reporting Council has come under renewed pressure over alleged conflicts of interest after it emerged that a former KPMG partner who works for the regulator had driven through a change in the rules that may later have helped to clear his erstwhile employer over the HBOS audit. http://bit.ly/2xIuwaC

Chancellor Philip Hammond should enhance tax breaks for investment to bolster confidence among businesses at a time when optimism about the future is falling, the Institute of Directors has claimed. http://bit.ly/2xIJ0aj

The Guardian

UK's largest supplier of supermarket chicken 2 Sisters Food Group has suspended production at one of its main processing plants after undercover filming revealed poor hygiene standards and food safety records being altered. http://bit.ly/2xK2efY

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson will invest in a Red Sea project that aims to turn 50 Saudi Arabian islands into luxury tourism destinations, the Saudi government announced on Sunday. http://bit.ly/2xIIZn3

The Telegraph

The travel industry is braced for widespread chaos as the future of Monarch Airlines hangs in the balance. The Civil Aviation Authority refused to confirm whether it would grant the budget holiday provider a permanent tour operator licence as a temporary one neared expiry at midnight on ­Sunday. http://bit.ly/2xJq3V6

Two-thirds of consumers in UK say they won't share their financial data with a third party, in a blow to the growing push towards so-called 'open banking', according to a survey of more than 2,000 people by consultant Accenture. http://bit.ly/2xIKXDF

Sky News

International Consolidated Airlines Group, parent company of British Airways, has expressed an interest in acquiring some of Monarch Airlines' take-off and landing slots, fleet and crew - raising hopes that some jobs can be salvaged if UK's fifth-biggest airline does collapse into administration. http://bit.ly/2xIyBM0

Ruth Davidson has dismissed suggestions Jeremy Corbyn is a dead cert to be the next Prime Minister, telling the Conservative party conference: "He hasn't even won a raffle". http://bit.ly/2xJvLGk

The Independent

Liam Fox has launched an outspoken attack on the European Union, saying it will risk harming its own people if it refuses to enter talks on a post-Brexit trade deal within weeks. http://ind.pn/2xJDapu

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Peter Cooney)