Wednesday newspaper round-up: Mitie, energy firms, solar panels

(Sharecast News) - Competition investigators raided the offices of outsourcer Mitie and are examining the emails of senior staff, after the Home Office raised concerns about suspected anti-competitive behaviour, the Guardian understands. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is examining the relationship between Mitie and US firm PAE, who operate a joint venture for the Ministry of Defence but were also competing to run Home Office immigration removal centres, at Derwentside, in Coutry Durham, and Heathrow. - Guardian The business secretary has effectively ruled out a windfall tax on North Sea oil firms to fund discounted energy bills but promised much greater investment in solar panels, wind and nuclear to reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas. Speaking amid reports of a cabinet split over landmark energy security plans due to be published within days, Kwasi Kwarteng offered up a tax on oil companies, backed by Labour, as the one policy that definitely will not find favour with ministers. - Guardian

England faces being carpeted with solar panels covering an area close to the size of Exmoor under plans being considered as part of Boris Johnson's green energy drive. The Prime Minister is preparing to meet with chief executives from the renewable energy industry on Thursday to encourage them to boost production as Europe fights to wean itself off Russian oil and gas. - Telegraph

The British cryptocurrency sector faces a crunch moment this week when a deadline for firms either to secure the approval of the City regulator or to put a stop to their UK operations is set to expire. The Financial Conduct Authority's temporary registration regime for companies offering crypto services in the UK is due to end on Thursday. - The Times

Randox, the private diagnostics company that was handed Covid-19 testing contracts worth as much as £777 million, has delayed the release of its audited accounts by two months. The Northern Ireland-based business owned by Peter FitzGerald, 71, its founder and managing director, said the delay was down to PwC, its auditor, and its own finance team being hit by Covid-related absences. - The Times