in brief

britten takes charge

Ian Britten has been appointed chairman of the English Tourism Council (ETC), formerly the English Tourist Board. Britten, a member of the British Tourist Authority board since July 1997, said: "This will be an exciting time for tourism and the ETC needs to be able to provide strong leadership and strategic guidance to the industry."

hygiene loophole?

A clause in the draft Freedom of Information bill states that environmental health officers may not have to disclose the details of their food hygiene inspections if by doing so it would prejudice a person's commercial interests. Home secretary Jack Straw said: "Authorities would have a duty to consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether the information should be disclosed in the public interest."

huntingdon held

Letheby & Christopher, the event catering arm of Compass, has retained its contract at Huntingdon Racecourse, Cambridgeshire, for a further five years. Letheby's managing director, Bob Reeves, said his firm wanted to boost non-race day business at the course, where catering turns over more than £400,000 a year.

best western first

The three-star, 138-bedroom Park Hall Hotel at Charnock Richard in Lancashire has become the first hotel to join Best Western Hotels following its merger with Consort Hotels.