UK hotels and brewing company Bass has declined to comment on a Financial Times report that it has put its beer division up for sale to focus on the faster growing leisure and hotels operations. Bass shares, which have underperformed the market by 18% in the past year, edged up just one penny to 696p following the report. Speculation that Bass might sell off its brewing business has been percolating through the market for some time and several international brewers, including Heineken and London-listed South African Breweries, are thought to have expressed interest.