Edmond,
   I'm not overly fond of your examples, but "due to" is used in that way
in the states enough by thoughtful people (like myself) that I wouldn't
call it an error. "Owing to" seems rare to me, and would probably seem
lightly stuffy on these shores. Which probably just means I'm defending
my own natural tendencies.
    "Due to inclement weather, the game has been cancelled.">
    "Due to problems with the network feed, we are delaying the program."
   Because I am doing so much reading in cognitive (and construction)
grammars, it suddenly seems strange to me that we need to classify the
construction according to some more abstract principles. If grammar
builds bottom up rather than top down, then there's no need for this.
   We can think of it as a lower level schema.
   "Due to X, Y has been done."  "Due to X, Y will happen."
   I think it means something like "as a result of" or "because of". All
three allow us to reduce causation to a noun construction. We say
"because it rained" or "because of the rain." But we don't say "because
the rain" or "because of it rained."
   It's hard for me to see "due" as adjective here (though it would be in
"the book is due today") because "due to" seems to head a construction
that is at least commonly adverbial, laying out reasons for action in
the main clause. But it doesn't head a clause. So preposition seems
closest.
   But I think it's more productive to think of it as a schema that allows
certain kinds of meanings than it is to spend so much energy finding
its classification.
   All grammars leak because the language never needed to hold water in
the first place. (I'm working on the right phrasing for that one.)
   I hope that's more than rambling.

Craig

> As an English English speaker I note that, in the discussion over 'due
>> to', no
> one has referred to what is regarded as a common error over here, one
> which is
> bidding fair to become standard.  You all refer to 'due' correctly in my
> view as
> an adjective.  But it is now often used here as the first word of an
> adverbial
> prepositional phrase thus:
>
> They cancelled the match due to the rain.
> Due to his complaints the menu was withdrawn.
> Due to the protests from the Catholic clergy, a free vote has now been
> allowed in the Commons.
>
> I myself wince when reading these, preferring 'owing to' in place of 'due
> to'.  Has this error found any takers in America?
>
> Edmond
>
>
>
> Dr. Edmond Wright
> 3 Boathouse Court
> Trafalgar Road
> Cambridge
> CB4 1DU
> England
>
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