Europe

UK - The BT Pension Scheme's estimated £5.5bn deficit is "manageable" due to its large cash flows, claim City analysts.

UK - Diageo pension scheme members have given a thumbs down to money purchase schemes and applauded the firm for retaining defined benefit provision.

UK - GE Life, part of US group part GE Financial, has awarded the £850m equity element of its GE Pensions With Profits fund to State Street Global Advisors (SSgA).

UK - Insight Investment has boosted its fixed income team with the appointment of Andy Evans as head of credit research.

UK - SolutionForge, the UK-based provider of financial Straight-Through Processing (STP) solutions has been appointed by Skandia UK to implement its FIX.NET Server 2002 FIX engine.

EUROPE - The European Asset Management Association and the Fédération des Fonds et Sociétés d'Investissement are considering joining forces to lobby more effectively.

UK - Law firm KLegal is combining its employment law and employment relations practices to create a single "people services" practice.

UK -Employee benefits group Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) has launched a trustee training programme designed specifically for ‘absolute beginner' trustees.

UK - The government's pensions green paper will be published before the end of the year, prime minister Tony Blair has confirmed ending weeks of industry speculation.

EUROPE - Eudald Canadell has been appointed managing director of Standard & Poor's Index Services Europe, based at a new office in Paris.