PRESS DIGEST-British Business - March 24

March 24 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

- Huel, the meal shake and food replacement brand, is set to be acquired by the French food group Danone in a 1 billion euros deal that leaves its entrepreneurial founder and celebrity backers in line for a bumper payday.

- American cosmetics group Estée Lauder EL.N is in discussion about acquiring the owner of Charlotte Tilbury and Jean Paul Gaultier to potentially create a $40bn company.

The Guardian

- British MPs have urged the government to halt its latest contract with Palantir after the Guardian revealed that the US spy-tech company is to gain access to a trove of highly sensitive UK financial regulation data.

- The UK government has dismissed a warning from an energy trade body that failing to produce more homegrown North Sea oil and gas will leave the UK increasingly reliant on imports at a time of rising global instability.

The Telegraph

- EasyJet EZJ.L> will slow hiring after warning that the Middle East crisis could push up air fares by the summer. The low-cost carrier plans to leave vacant posts unfilled for longer while flight frequencies could be reduced on some weaker routes to preserve cash.

Sky News

- Around 20 National Car Parks (NCP) sites are to be permanently closed just days after the company collapsed into administration. The landlords and employees were notified on Monday morning that administrators had concluded that roughly 20 of its sites were no longer commercially viable to operate.

The Independent

- Aerospace and defence giant Airbus AIR.PA has agreed to acquire UK cybersecurity firm Ultra Cyber from private equity firm Advent International for an undisclosed sum.