Europe

UK - The Alliance of Occupational Pensioners is urging the government to make company pension contributions compulsory.

UK - Capital Cranfield Trustees has appointed Bob Bridges as managing director and David Bright as an associate director.

UK - The government is planning to set up a Royal Commission on pensions, a move which would delay reform for years, senior sources have revealed.

UK - OPRA is preparing to take on a raft of new roles to become the "new kind of regulator" outlined in Alan Pickering's Simplification Report.

UK - Unilever has vowed to retain its £4.2bn final salary scheme ahead of its 2002 triennial valuation.

UK - A row between pensioners and trustees of BA's £6bn Airways Pension Scheme looks set to end in the High Court, it can be revealed.

UK - Employers and trustees should pay more attention to the liabilities posed by their closed final salary schemes, Lane Clark & Peacock warns.

UK - Ratings agency Fimlac has launched a service that will rate companies on their levels of corporate responsibility.

UK - Entegria, the benefits consulting unit of Hogg Robinson, will host a series of free investment strategy seminars in November at venues in London, Reading, Birmingham and Leeds.

UK - The value of pension schemes at FTSE100 companies has plummeted by £63bn since the start of the year, actuarial consultant UBSL claims.