Thursday newspaper round-up: Heathrow, BHS, RBS

Theresa May has sufficient support in parliament to drive through the contentious expansion of Heathrow airport if she decides to put it to a vote next month, according to close allies. The government will not make a final decision about how to proceed until an aviation subcommittee — chaired by Mrs May — meets on either October 11 or 18. – Financial Times

The Government is facing fresh calls to overhaul its energy policy to cut costs for consumers, as new analysis claims renewables policies alone will equate to £466 a year for every UK household by 2020. The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), the right-wing think tank behind the analysis, and petrochemicals giant Ineos are both also calling for the Government to scrap its unilateral UK carbon tax, which pushes up energy bills. - Telegraph

Homes for sale should be given a “traffic light” score to alert buyers to their risk of flooding, according to the Association of British Insurers. The industry body said the red, amber or green warnings on property listings would encourage prospective owners to consider the danger of living in a flood-prone area early, before racking up costs by placing an offer and paying for a formal survey. – Telegraph

The Serious Fraud Office has stepped up its inquiries into the collapse of BHS and the conduct of the department store chain’s former owner Dominic Chappell. The Guardian understands that the SFO has contacted individuals involved in running BHS before it fell into administration in April, and the administrators themselves, and asked for a series of documents. The SFO is thought to be particularly interested in the dealings of Chappell and his consortium, Retail Acquisitions, during the 13 months it owned the retailer. – Guardian

Governments must defeat a rising tide of protectionism to prevent a further slowdown in global growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund has said. Christine Lagarde said policies that restrict trade were a form of “economic malpractice” that would choke off growth, hit jobs and reduce wages. – Guardian

Taxpayers are on the hook for up to £100 million to pay the legal costs of Fred Goodwin, Royal Bank of Scotland and three other former directors to defend claims that they misled investors shortly before the bank’s collapse in 2008. About 27,000 retail investors and several institutions are suing RBS for £4 billion on the ground that they were duped into supporting a £12 billion emergency fundraising in April 2008, six months before the bank was bailed out by the state. – The Times

France has moved to lure London’s financial technology companies to Paris in the aftermath of the Brexit vote with a promise of English-speaking coaches and a simple path through the country’s famously arcane red tape. The move is the latest in Parisian attempts to capitalise on Britain’s looming divorce from the European Union. Like some of their counterparts in Germany, French politicians view Brexit as a golden opportunity and they hope to entice up to 30,000 financial sector workers from the City. – The Times