The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), alongside the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), has published new rules in relation to whistleblowing. These changes follow recommendations in 2013  by the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards (PCBS) that banks put in place mechanisms to allow their employees to raise concerns internally and that they appoint a senior person to take responsibility for the effectiveness of these whistleblowing arrangements

The Chancellor has set out plans to devolve new powers from Whitehall to local areas, in a move which will see local government retain local taxes as part of plans to promote growth and prosperity

The government is to extend shared parental leave and pay to working grandparents to increase flexibility and choice in parental leave arrangements and support working parents with the costs of childcare during the first year of a child’s life

Next week will see a call for a debate in the European parliament to tighten up legislation on equal pay provisions after assessments have shown that EU legislation in this area is still not being implemented effectively across the 28 member states

The European Commission has published aCapital Markets Union (CMU) action plan which is intended to boost business funding and cut red tape by building a single market for capital across the 28 EU member states

SMEs are owed £67.4bn in unpaid invoices, up 8% from £62.5bn in the last year alone, with the construction sector one of the worst hit by late payment, according to research by the Asset Based Finance Association (ABFA)

The latest career moves and partner promotions at EY, French Duncan, PwC, Watson Buckle and traineeships at RBK, while the Financial Reporting Council hires ex Big Four heavyweights to join the conduct committee

There has been a 79% increase in the average cost per fraud in the first six months of this year according to BDO which puts the total value of reported fraud in the UK during the period at close to £800m, and calls for more due diligence

Over a third of FTSE 100 CEOs received no salary increase this year and bonuses remained unchanged, suggesting executive pay levels in the UK’s top companies remain largely static, but there is little sign that bonuses are becoming more closely tied to performance, according to PwC