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Nutricia has appointed former Pedigree Petfoods head of external relations Jeff Halliwell as marketing director, to head the Cow & Gate and Milupa baby food brands. He replaces Niall Bowen, who becomes Nutricia Clinical Care marketing director.

The European Union has set up a taskforce which will report later in the year on whether taxes can be levied on the Internet. The US Treasury favours the Web remaining a duty-free zone. The British Government will study the report before taking a view.

Labour is beating the Tories in the battle of the letterbox, according to a Market Movements survey of the use of direct mail by political parties. Labour has produced more mailings of a higher quality, and with greater variety, than its political opponents, according to the survey.

Chessington World of Adventures, part of the same group as Madame Tussauds, has appointed Chris Welch as head of marketing. He comes from CPC, where he was group brand manager for Pot Noodle. In the past, Welch had been senior brand manager at Golden Wonder and brand manager for Andrex.

Punch magazine has appointed John Trickett, former deputy advertising sales director of the Evening Standard, as its ad director on a consultancy basis. He replaces Ian Scott who left the magazine in December.

Daz, the washing detergent, is launching a new ad campaign, using celebrities in its Doorstep Challenge for the first time. Presenter Shane Ritchie has ‘door-stepped’ Sally James, Andrea Boardman and Fraser Hines (above). The ads were created by Leo Burnett and break on January 20.

Microsoft is to launch the latest version of Office 97 in conjunction with The Daily Telegraph. The campaign will feature a TV commercial, while the newspaper’s office in Canary Wharf tower will be lit up in the Microsoft corporate colours: orange, yellow and blue.

EMAP Computing has entered a joint venture with CMP Media in the US to begin publishing IT magazine Information Week in the UK.

Tesco has launched the BabyClub for pregnant women and new mothers.

The Tower Bridge Experience has taken on Colette O’Brien as tourism manager, with a brief to increase the 400,000 annual visitor figures.

National Express’ group chief executive Ernest Patterson has resigned.