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Top story
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Cut VAT to boost tourism, says Varney
The boss of Poole-based Merlin Entertainments, the theme park operator whose brands include Madame Tussauds, Legoland and the London Eye, has called on the government to cut the red tape that is hampering the growth of the tourism sector in the UK. Nick Varney, the company's global chief executive, told Insider that a VAT cut for tourism businesses would boost domestic and inbound tourism and had the potential to create 80,000 private sector jobs.
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Deals
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Ward Williams makes Cornish acquisition
Truro-based Ward Williams Associates (WWA) has acquired Baseline, a project management and building surveying practice that is also based in Cornwall.
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DVS bites into Apple iTunes deal
Somerset-based start-up Digital Video Singles (DVS) has secured £300,000 of funding so it can work with Apple's iTunes to provide pre-1980 video content for users to download.
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EFG scheme lending sinks to new low
Lending under the government’s small business lending scheme - the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) - has fallen by a further 31 per cent in the last three months. Figures are down from £144m in the third quarter to £99m in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to Aldermore.
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Property
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Aerium acquires One Glass Wharf for £83m
Aerium, the European real estate fund manager, has acquired One Glass Wharf in Bristol from administrator PwC. The purchase price of £83m represents a net initial yield of 6.84 per cent.
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ADG completes Plymouth city centre move
The Architects Design Group (ADG) has completed its move to newly refurbished offices in Plymouth city centre. The company was previously based at the Tamar Science Park.
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Hobbs and Paperchase take space at The Mall
The latest retailers to take space at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway are fashion retailer Hobbs and stationery chain Paperchase, it has been announced.
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Business
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Hargreaves Lansdown breaks into FTSE 100
Bristol-based Hargreaves Lansdown has broken into the FTSE 100 index after the FTSE Group announced a reshuffle.
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Lansdown to step down as Robins' chairman
Steve Lansdown will be stepping down as Bristol City Football Club’s chairman at the end of this season. From 31 May, Lansdown is to no longer be part of the club's board of directors but he will remain the club's controlling shareholder, it has been announced. At this point, Colin Sexstone is to take up his new position as chairman and Guy Price will become the chief executive officer.
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100 jobs for Falmouth Docks
The A&P Group’s Falmouth yard has won a multimillion-pound contract to convert two vessels, owned by Seajacks International, for use on a wind farm near Liverpool. The contract will create up to 100 dock yard jobs.
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