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00:00Hello and welcome to the latest Business Bulletin on Tuesday the 22nd of April.
00:05Rachel Reeves is in Washington this week for the International Monetary Fund's spring meetings.
00:09The annual get-together comes amid the most difficult global economic circumstances since the COVID pandemic.
00:15The Chancellor is expected to make the case for free trade, but says she won't be making a deal with the US at any cost.
00:22Restaurant chain Hickories has said it plans to open 10 new sites each year as part of ambitious expansion plans.
00:28The BBQ Smokehouse brand was acquired by pub giant Green King in 2022.
00:33Hickories opened six new sites last year to expand to 26 locations.
00:39Kitchenware retailer Lakeland has been acquired in a management buyout backed by investment firm Hilco.
00:44The management team has completed a deal for the business that will enable Lakeland's family owners Sam Martin and Julian Rayner to retire.
00:51Chief Executive Catherine Nunn will continue to run the business together with Chief Financial and Operating Officer Stephen Hill and Chief Commercial Officer Neil Piggard.
01:01A deal worth more than £1 billion has been agreed for DCC Healthcare to be acquired by Invest Industrial.
01:08The disposal will allow DCC PLC to focus on its energy business.
01:12The proposed transaction values DCC Healthcare at £1.05 billion.
01:17Councils across England and Wales have lost almost a third of their staff over the past decade.
01:22A study by the GMB revealed that since 2012, almost 600,000 council jobs had gone.
01:29Birmingham was the worst-hit council, losing 27,000 workers, followed by Derbyshire and Staffordshire.
01:36And finally, Gatwick has retained its position as the UK's worst airport for flight delays.
01:41Departures were an average of more than 23 minutes behind schedule last year.
01:45Flights from Birmingham Airport had the second poorest punctuality record, with an average delay of more than 21 minutes.
01:52That's all for today. More tomorrow.