26 JULY 1997, Page 25

Bed and board

IN BUSINESS, getting on with the chair- man's secretary is a good idea. Getting off with her is not. Running off with her is fatal. This is one reason why United Utili- ties is looking for a chief executive, again, and it could not have happened to a more deserving company. You may recall that .this pushme-pullyu was discovered by Sir Desmond Pitcher and set to bring electric taps to Lancashire, and dripping sockets too. UU has been doing pioneering work in the drains of Bangkok and on the frontiers of corporate remuneration. Now all these good efforts are at risk to misunderstand- ings in boardrooms and bedrooms. The next code on corporate governance is going to have to deal with these fringe benefits. Bags I be on the Pitcher Committee.