Here are the top business stories making the headlines in the morning newspapers.

No more changes to pension age - yet

The UK Government is to announce today it will not bring forward the date when the state pension age is due to rise to 68.

The work and pensions secretary is to tell MPs that now is not the time to make the change, and any decision will be pushed back till after the next general election.

The state pension age is now 66, then rise to 67 later this decade and is due to go to 68 from 2046.

The BBC says a previous government review in 2017 had suggested the rise could be brought forward into the late 2030s.

Fears of skills shortage in North Sea

The North Sea is projected to experience major demand for skills and resources in 2024 due to numerous projects involving oil and gas decommissioning and new windfarms.

Offshore Energies UK decommissioning manager Richard Thomson said something has to happen to ensure there’s a way forward.

Next year is forecast to see 16 offshore windfarms put in place, 22 oil and gas substructures removed and 25 platform topsides removed, according to research from the trade body.

Mr Thomson told Energy Voice: “Something has to happen here. That’s a niche set of people that do those works.”

The risk is that North Sea decommissioning and other work is kicked down the road, and targets missed, as the supply chain is overwhelmed amid a skills shortage.

He added: “A lot of the skills, a lot of the assets, a lot of the yards, a lot of what we generally use for the lifecycle of decommissioning projects are being used for offshore wind at the same time.”

UK in Indo-Pacific trade pact move

Britain is poised to join an Indo-Pacific trade pact in a significant post-Brexit coup as the economy pivots away from the European Union.

The UK is expected to become the first non-founding member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The move will give businesses easier access to tens of millions of middle-class consumers in a market worth trillions.

The accession will be announced as soon as tomorrow, a source said, with trade ministers expected to meet on Thursday night to sign it off.

As well as bolstering the British economy, the deal would also be a further statement of intent about Britain's determination to play a role on the global stage after signing the Aukus defence pact with the US and Australia.

Stephanie Rickard, professor of political science at the London School of Economics, told the Telegraph: “The UK is trailblazing. This is changing the agreement from being a regional agreement to a global agreement.”

Exploration well off Shetland

TotalEnergies has begun drilling a hotly-anticipated exploration well west of Shetland.

Project partner Kistos Energy confirmed yesterday that the Benriach gas prospect has been spudded by the Transocean Barents.

Analysts have previously dubbed the play a “well to watch”, with optimism it could open up follow-on prospects in the Laggan-Tormore region.

Energy Voice says drilling at Benriach is expected to complete between July and September.

Andrew Austin, executive chairman at Kistos, said: “We are excited that the Benriach well is underway. It is an important milestone for the company with the potential to add significant reserves.

Prime Minister facing questions over shares

Rishi Sunak is facing questions over shares his wife holds in a childcare agency that could benefit from a new policy unveiled in the Budget.

There is to be a pilot of payments for new childminders, with more for those who sign through agencies.

Akshata Murty was listed as a shareholder in one of those agencies, Koru Kids, as recently as March 6.

The PM's press secretary said all Mr Sunak's interests "have been declared in the usual way".

Ministers are expected to provide a written list of all financial interests that might "give rise to a conflict".

The BBC says Mr Sunak mentions Ms Murthy's venture capital company, Catamaran Ventures, in his list of ministerial interests, but does not mention Koru Kids.

No Easter disruption expected at airports

Airports and airlines say they're confident they have enough staff to avoid a repeat of the disruption during last year's Easter holidays.

Some struggled with staff shortages as passengers returned, leading to queues, delays and cancellations.

Wages have risen, as businesses try to attract and keep new recruits.

Airline bosses have warned strikes in France are likely to cause ongoing issues, but still expect travel to return to 2019 levels.

The chief executive of easyJet, Johan Lundgren, told the BBC: "When they close an airport because of strikes you are going to see disruption. But the vast majority of flights, even during a disrupted period, will run smoothly."


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