Newspaper round-up

LONDON (Reuters) - Here are the business headlines from Tuesday's newspapers.

The Financial Times

BUSINESS LEADERS WELCOME BROWN PLEDGE TO CREATE JOBS

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's pledge to create "as many as 100,000 new jobs" by boosting public spending has been welcomed by business leaders who expect more details at a summit called for next Monday. David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said any move aimed at helping with the worrying employment figures was a "positive step" but that "we need to see the detail behind the 100,000 new jobs figure". Stephen Rafley, chief economist at the EEF, representing manufacturing employers, said the move "will improve job prospects for a lot of skilled workers". David Coats, director of policy at the Work Foundation, said increasing public spending to generate extra employment was "the right approach".

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CONTRACTS SHARPLY

New figures by a Cips/Markit survey have highlighted the deepening problems of the UK's construction industry as commercial building activity slumped to 29.3 in December, with 50 being the level indicating contraction, amid companies' concerns over the current financial slowdown. The housing sector saw the biggest decline, reaching 23.8 compared with a peak of more than 60 in June 2007, while commercial construction dived to 26.3, a record low. The research also found a record drop in new orders for work while the industry faced job cuts for the seventh consecutive month.

BOOKIES FACE LEVY TO TREAT PROBLEM GAMBLING

The UK's larger betting groups are to continue being the main supporters of the annual five million pounds fund for research and to treat problem gambling under new government plans to be announced on Tuesday. As discussions over the introduction of a voluntary levy by the gambling industry came to nothing, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is suggesting that bigger online operators pay some 92,000 pounds to 145,000 pounds a year for the next three years. Bookmakers with more than one 100 outlets will contribute up to 36,000 pounds and the biggest bingo operator up to 77,000 pounds.

EDF CALLS ON UK TO DECLARE NEED FOR NUCLEAR POWER