Thursday newspaper round-up: public spending, maternity leave, Dong Energy

The mayor of London and the CBI employers’ group are urging Philip Hammond to increase public spending as a way of reassuring businesses fearful of the consequences of leaving the EU. Sadiq Khan will accuse the government of being “blasé” towards the impact of Brexit and will call on the chancellor to dispel some of the uncertainty over negotiations with Europe. – Financial Times

The Bank of England has asked large British lenders to detail their current exposure to Deutsche Bank and some of the biggest Italian banks, including Monte dei Paschi, amid mounting market jitters over the health of Europe’s financial sector. The request was made in recent weeks by the BoE’s Prudential Regulation Authority as investors sold off Deutsche and Monte dei Paschi, both of which have been the subject of scrutiny over their capital levels. – Financial Times

Philip Hammond should spend £2.1bn in the autumn statement on extending maternity leave to encourage more women to return to work, the CBI has said. The business lobby group urged the chancellor to adopt an £11.5bn shopping list of measures, including lengthening maternity leave from nine months to a year to bridge the gap with the earliest date from which parents can claim childcare support. – Guardian

The government is considering extending the powers of the Pensions Regulator in the light of the BHS scandal, it has emerged. In a letter responding to a parliamentary report into the demise of the department store chain, the business minister Margot James said the government was determined the regulator had the power it needed to “deter and tackle misbehaviour”. - Guardian

Bribery is a way of life for British companies working in emerging markets, with 85pc of managers forced to resort to it to do business, according to a new report. A 12-year inquiry by Prof Andrew Kakabadse, of Henley Business School, claims the vast majority of UK managers operating in these markets resort to the dishonest practice on a monthly basis – often with the tacit permission of their chief executives. – Telegraph

The world’s largest offshore developer of wind energy is considering whether to ditch its oil and gas business. Dong Energy confirmed yesterday that it no longer considered oil and gas to be “a long-term strategic commitment” and said that it was “reviewing strategic options” for the future of the division. – The Times

The head of the City watchdog has hit back at claims from a think tank that the authorities are sleepwalking into a new financial crisis, saying he was determined to clean up the industry as he launched the organisation’s “mission”. Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, described the recent scandals involving the financial services industry, such as Libor-rigging and mis-selling of interest rate hedging products, as a “very sorry history” and said his reforms were intended to ensure the future would be “radically different from the past”. – The Times