Council to advise Treasury on business competitiveness
The Government is expected to announce that Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy and Wal-Mart chief executive Lee Scott will be among one of 12 members of a new business advisory board.

The International Business Advisory Council, set up by Chancellor Gordon Brown, will aim to advise the Treasury on ways to improve UK competitiveness, providing guidance on the challenges presented by India and China.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates is also expected to be included.

The committee will meet for the first time later this year. Initially, its work is expected to run until 2009.