Here are the business stories making the headlines across the country this morning.

Labour admits private school VAT raid will price parents out

Labour’s VAT plans for private schools will price some parents out of the sector, the Government has admitted.

Rachel Reeves confirmed on Monday that they will start charging VAT on private schools from January 1, 2025.

Treasury documents published after the Chancellor’s speech confirmed ministers expect the new 20% tax will drive some private school parents away.

It marks the first time Labour has acknowledged in writing that its VAT changes mean private school will become unaffordable for some families.

Read more in The Telegraph.

Delivery giant Evri to hire 9,000 new staff in the UK

The delivery giant said it is looking to employ 8,000 more couriers, along with around 1,000 warehouse and other supporting roles, following its multi-billion pound takeover.

The company said key locations selected for the new jobs included Scotland, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Plymouth in Devon and also Gatwick Airport.

Couriers typically earn around £16.50 per hour, according to Evri.

The recruitment drive comes after private equity firm Apollo Global Management bought Evri for £2.7billion last week, in a deal first revealed by Sky News.

Royal Mail bidder Kretinsky holds talks with Reynolds over £3.6bn deal

The Czech billionaire who wants to take full control of Royal Mail has held private talks with the new business secretary to reassure him about his plans for one of Britain's most important companies.

Daniel Kretinsky met Jonathan Reynolds last Tuesday for the first time since Labour won this month's general election.

Mr Reynolds said several days ago it was "reasonable" to expect the takeover of International Distribution Services (IDS) would be called in for further scrutiny by the government.

The Czech tycoon, who also owns a stake in West Ham United Football Club, has sought to reassure Royal Mail staff about his intentions, adding that he would fulfil the Universal Service Obligation (USO) "forever".

Read more in Sky News.

Crackdown on scam calls imitating UK phone numbers

Millions of suspicious calls from scammers abroad will be blocked as UK telecoms rules become stricter, the communications regulator has said.

Ofcom said in future phone companies will have to stop calls from abroad which imitate UK landline numbers, a practice known as "spoofing".

The requirement, which comes into effect in January 2025, is designed to protect people who are more likely to trust a call because it appears as a UK number on their handset.

Ofcom also called for firms to come up with "innovative solutions" to tackle fraudsters who imitate UK mobile numbers.

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